IN THE 




BATH: 

BINNS AND GOODWIN. 

LONDON : NISBET AND CO., AND ARTHUR HALL, VIRTUE, AND CO. 



4 £ ?5S 

.01 



LABOUBS OF JOHN MEYEB 

IN 

BRITISH GUIANA. 



CHAPTER I. 

In the year 1840, John Meyer arrived, with his 
no less devoted fellow -labourer and wife, our 
still surviving sister in the Lord, in Demerara, 
from Switzerland ; and it was the sultry clime 
of British Guiana, acting upon his already 
ardent temperament, which caused a periodical 
excitement of mind and feeling that often weak- 
ened his testimony, hindered his usefulness, and 
preyed upon his spirits ; yet (so marvellous are 
the ways of God), rendered him a fitter instru ■ 
nient for manifesting His own power, and 

B 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



displaying the fruits of this dear suffering 
brother's ministry more palpably to be " God's 
husbandry," " God's building." 

Our departed brother was a man of much 
intellectual power, with great ability in acqui- 
ring languages : he was also deeply read in the 
word of God, upon which he relied as his alone 
directory of faith and action, as well as the 
inventory of his riches, hopes, and armour for 
the present strife ! But what most distinguished 
him, and reigned triumphantly over his infirmi- 
ties to the last, was his confident enjoyment of 
that abounding love which had saved him, a lost 
sinner, — his implicit faith in the word and 
promises of our adorable Saviour, — his intense 
desire for carrying out the testimonies of His 
love to others, — and his delight in being a 
successful messenger of peace to poor sinners. 

During his residence of nearly three years 
on the banks of Demerara river, and the 
east coast of the colony, he suffered much from 
repeated attacks of fever, but was energetically 
occupied in the instruction of black children, 
and preaching the gospel to hundreds. 

His peculiar power was in proclaiming the 
love of God to sinners in the gift of His dear 
Son, with the free and full remission of all sin 
to every one who believed in the name of Him 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



whose once shed blood maketh atonement ; and 
wherever he did thus preach, the hand of the 
Lord was with him, so that he has left proofs of 
his ministry wherever he has been thus used. 
The writer of these pages well remembers being 
exceedingly refreshed in spirit, when called by 
him to afternoon conversations with those whom 
God had just brought out from darkness to light 
through his ministry, by the evidently deep 
impressions made upon their hearts through 
conviction of their own wickedness, and the riches 
of that grace, which, by the efficacy of Jesus' 
atoning blood, pardoned and delivered from all. 

As this is written expressly for the glory of 
God, not for the exaltation of man, the writer 
would not keep back the fact, that the Christian 
brother of whose ardent zeal, simplicity of faith, 
and sufferings, this memoir speaks, laboured 
under the pressure of eccentric sensitiveness and 
nervous irritability, which shortened, through 
unnecessary sufferings of mind and body, his 
brief but useful career. 

Early in the year 1843, John Meyer left a 
settlement of blacks on the east coast of Deme- 
rara, — where he had resided five months, and had 
been already blessed to the salvation of a few souls 
who received the grace of God, — to reside at 
T — M — , on the Essequibo coast, for the purpose 



LABOURS OF JOHK MEYEH 



of teaching a school and preaching the gospel 
in the neighbourhood., 

Some time previously, his mind had been much 
exercised about the benighted state of the scat- 
tered Indian tribes who inhabit the vast forests 
and savannahs of Guiana. These neglected 
people had been brought under his notice several 
times. Once, when residing on the east coast, 
on recovering from a severe attack of fever, he 
visited, for change of air, in company with a 
young brother in the Lord (now labouring 
among the blacks with much blessing) the inland 
portion of the Mahaica river, or creek, as it is 
generally called, at the head of which there are 
many Indians located. At another time he 
visited with a devoted Christian brother, — Mr. 
C — A — , of whom more hereafter, — the highest 
parts of Demerara river, where, also, are many 
Indians. Again, he resided a few weeks with a 
dear Christian minister at a mission to Indians 
of the English establishment, up the Essequibo 
river. Hearing, therefore, that Arrawack 
Indians had settlements on the edge of a lake 
not far from T — M — , he took the first leisure 
day to seek out these, his ignorant fellow-sinners, 
with the desire of laying before them their 
perishing, guilty state, in common with us all 
by nature, accompanied by the testimony that 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



" God has so loved the world, as to give His 
only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on 
Him should never perish ! " 

Being successful in finding several small 
Indian companies, of whom some knew a little 
English, particularly the chief and his sister, he 
prevailed upon the chief, after much conversa- 
tion, to send his son, who bore the English name 
Robert, and upon his sister to allow an orphan 
boy under her charge, named Henry, to attend 
his school, himself engaging to give them food 
and raiment. From this time he felt such deep 
commiseration for these poor Indians, so igno- 
rant of their true condition, I may say, of either 
their danger or privileges, as lost sinners — the 
danger of that wrath revealed against all un- 
righteousness of men — the privileges of that 
redemption revealed in Jesus Christ for the lost 
and guilty, even the forgiveness of sins through 
His blood, ; — that, constrained by the love of 
Christ who had caused him to triumph over his 
sins, and rejoice in his heavenly inheritance, 
he purposed in the strength of the Lord to do 
his utmost to make them acquainted with the 
grace of God that bringeth salvation. 

Many of these Indians appearing next Sunday, 
Meyer proposed, after preaching the gospel in 
the meeting-room, to give them all special 

b 2 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



instruction in the English language, by which 
he also hoped to acquire the Arrawack tongue. 
Their numbers increased from Sunday to Sunday, 
until the attendance amounted to fifty ; and the 
two boys improved so rapidly, that, before the 
year ended, Robert could read and write well, 
Henry not being far behind. In the mean time 
they generally had about ten Indian children 
staying with them every week ; of which 
Meyer assiduously availed himself in acquiring 
their language, and soon progressed beyond 
his expectation. Taking from the children 25 
words at a time, and retiring to some lonely 
place, he committed them all to memory. In his 
visits to the Indians at their habitations near 
the Lake, he w T as also unwearied, instructing 
them, and taking down their words ; and soon 
had he good hope that some were feeling their 
sin before God, and had their hearts drawn 
towards Him* through faith in Him whom He 
had sent to be the propitiation for our sins, 
through faith in His blood. 

Thus far all went on happily, when a circum- 
stance was suffered to happen which operated, 
we trust only for a season, in respect to some 
of their number, in drawing off their hearts 
from truth to error, — from the wheat to the 
chaff, by what Paul declares is not another 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



gospel. The clergyman of the neighbourhood, 
who, most unhappily for himself and others, 
believed that salvation consists in rites and cere- 
monies, not in the grace of God received by 
faith in the precious blood of Christ, hearing of 
John Meyer's visits to the Indians, and their 
constant attendance on him, went himself to 
their abodes, bringing with him the highest 
authority the Indian's natural capacity was able 
to realize, both ecclesiastical and secular ; decla- 
ring their great error and folly in attending the 
instructions of a poor unauthorized man. He 
bade them mark who ever attended his ministrv 
— none, scarcely, but a few black persons ! 
He asked them, " By whose authority does he 
preach ? What has he yet done for you ? Has 
he made you Christians ? Are you baptized yet 
after all his teaching?" and added, "Now if 
you come to me, if you learn to repeat what I 
teach, you shall be baptized and made Christ- 
ians ; I shall then baptize your children also, 
and join you to your wives according to law, 
and you will all be good Christians." Such 
kinds of persuasion were used, and at length 
successfully. The word of grace, by our bro- 
ther Meyer, had not reached their hearts, perhaps 
through his deficiency of language. Thesfe 
appeals to their senses were more easily appre- 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



liended : and some, on repeating unintelligently 
in broken English, the Lord's prayer and the 
Belief, being admitted to baptism, gradually the 
whole of them left, and, with their children, 
became Christians according to the idea of him to 
whose teaching they had submitted. " But," 
remarks his surviving fellow-labourer, "he never 
thought of these poor Indians before my dear 
husband sought them out ; neither did he yearn 
over their immortal souls, as my husband did, 
more than for the common necessaries of life ! 
Oh, those dear boys, Robert and Henry, I can 
yet see ; the last Sunday one alone came, of 
whom we had great hopes. God grant I may 
meet him in heaven, I should know him at the 
first sight." 

This was a severe blow to the sensitive mind 
of John Meyer. He was much cast down and 
perplexed at this unexpected end to his first 
labours in the gospel towards the Indians, 
solely from his concern for the souls of those 
who were thus abruptly taken away from hear- 
ing the truth ; for their everlasting welfare had 
been as much on his heart as his own ; and 
while it increased his already great abhorrence 
of that leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees 
which had corrupted and leavened the current 
Christianity, it determined him on immediately 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



seeking another place among the Indians, where 
he might preach the grace of God in its Bible 
purity without interruption. 

His labours, however, among these Indians 
thus decoyed from him, had not been in vain. 
He had acquired some knowledge of, and ability 
for speaking, the Arrawack language, and 
believing himself now called to spend the rest of 
his life among the Indians, he resolved, trusting 
in the help and blessing of God, to go forth on 
such a mission, depending on Him alone, and to 
seek the Indians far in their native forests. 
Thus purposed in his mind, he set off, with 
some changes of raiment, his Bible, and vocabu- 
lary of Arrawack words, which he had diligently 
acquired, and carefully arranged in a kind of tin 
knapsack, constructed under his own orders, 
strapped over his shoulders, and a few dollars in 
his pocket, leaving his wife with his two little 
children under the kind care of a dear brother 
and sister in the Lord, who resided at T — M — , 
where she still kept the weekly school. 

Our brother Meyer now shaped his course for 
Demerara, at the head of which river he purposed 
to penetrate the forests in search of Indians, to 
whom he believed the Lord would enable him to 
impart the knowledge of salvation through faith 
in Jesus Christ, and many of whom, though now 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



afar off, he hoped soon to see " made nigh by the 
blood of Christ/' and become " fellow -citizens 
with the saints and of the household of God.' 5 
It was not without much prayer and great con- 
fidence in God that he undertook this journey, 
believing that He in whom he trusted would 
show him a wide field for publishing the gospel 
of peace to sinners, into which He would cause 
him to enter, and find also an habitation for his 
wife and children. 

He was brought on his way by the brethren 
in George Town, at Peter's Hall, and the Craig, 
at which several places he called on his way up 
the river, but it was the faithful brother and 
servant of Christ, C — A — , he sought as the one to 
whom he desired more fully to unfold the purpose 
of his heart, and whose sympathies and prayers 
he desired to enlist in the service before him. 

Our brother C — A — , made acquainted with his 
purpose, entered into it with all his spirit, and 
desiring in every way to be his fellow-helper, 
especially by prayer, accompanied him, with 
several devoted and faithful negro brethren, 
three days' journey into the wilderness, where 
they remained with him many days, then leaving 
him alone with the Indians, returned to the 
river, and so to their homes. But I will give 
the account of this interesting journey in our 
brother C — A — \s own words. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



November 28, 1843. 

" Our firm conviction was that we were led 
on by the gracious hand of Him who, having 
rolled off the sin of the world, commanded His 
servants to preach to every creature 6 repentance 
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus 
Christ/ offering in His name remission of sins 
to all who will believe the gospel. At every 
stage of our way we sought in prayer together 
to know the mind of the Lord, praying that His 
will might be followed, and ours completely set 
aside : and, blessed be His holy name, we had 
no reason to doubt throughout our fatiguing 
journey of our being in the path where He could 
both go before, and be our rereward. 

" On the evening of the 3rd of November we 
arrived at Berlin, from the Glasgow, and had a 
comforting time together with a few believers. 
Here we gathered strength and girded up our 
loins for what lay before us. On the 4th we 
reached Lucky Spot, and met believers again for 
prayer and comfort in the love of God. On the 
5th, the first day, we broke bread with the Chris- 
tians worshipping there, and proceeding on the 
6th reached Urawly Cobra, an Indian settlement 
on the river side, upwards of 100 miles from 
George Town. The following days we travelled 



LABOURS OF JOHN METER 



upwards, passing over the falls, and, having 
called at several small Indian settlements, reached 
at last one called Arawa, where we remained, 
and were hospitably entertained. I should have 
said that our brother John Meyer preached in 
the Arrawack language at each place, and was 
understood. 

" On the 8th of November we descended the 
river to Urawly Cobra again, and spoke much 
to the Indians there of Christ. We stayed here 
the 9th to give all time for preparation to make 
our journey to the savannah. On the 10th, having 
made ourselves as light as possible, by laying 
aside all unnecessary furniture, either for our 
dress or hammock convenience, and feeling we 
were indeed under the protecting hand of Him 
in whose service we had set out, our guide, an 
Arrawack Indian, followed by his wife, led us 
into the forest. We started at 8 a.m. and walked 
till 4 p.m., with one short interval of rest. We 
had then arrived on the edge of a small open 
savannah, and, having a good supply of water at 
hand, thoroughly wearied, we hung up our ham- 
mocks to the trees and rested for the night. On 
the 11th we set forward at 7 a.m., and at 1 p.m., 
with blistered feet and well tired bodies, we 
reached a house in the midst of the burning 
sands, and rested for the day. On the morning 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



of the 12th we set off once more, hoping soon to 
reach the Indian settlement to which we travelled. 
This we effected after four hours' painful walk- 
ing without shoes (for by this time shoes had 
become intolerable), leaving our brother Meyer 
about five miles distant, having such a violent 
head-ache, that he could proceed no further. 
This was the only ailment he had the whole 
time I was with him, and it was but of short 
duration, for, in the goodness of the Lord, we 
had the pleasure of welcoming bim among us 
early on the following morning, with the black 
brother who had remained to serve him. 

" Here then, being all together, we had many 
opportunities of preaching to these poor brethren, 
myself in English to those who understood it, 
Meyer in their native tongue, to whom they 
paid very great attention. One of them went 
so far as to tell me, 'They will believe it sir, 
them all shall believe you.' Our heavenly 
Father supplied us at this place with fresh meat 
every day through the Indians, as they were 
always successful in hunting during my stay. 

" The readiness these, in general, apathetic 
beings evinced to hear the gospel on this 
occasion was remarkable. Fearing to annoy by 
calling them together too often, we limited our 
invitations to every second day, but they came 

c 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



themselves, and entreated us to preach the gospel 
every day while we remained. 

" Having been now together here for eight 
days, at the earnest request of Meyer, and both 
of us concluding it to be of the Lord, I left him 
with the Indians on the 20th of November, and, 
with the three black brethren and sister, set out 
to return by the way we had come. 

" Dear Meyer had, when I left him, two dollars, 
a hammock, a change of clothes, a pair of shoes, 
pen, ink, and paper, with his Arrawack vocabu- 
lary much enlarged, with notes for the construc- 
tion of a grammar in that language, through 
which he hoped the Lord would enable him to 
teach these gentiles the riches of Christ. The 
shoes were of no immediate use, as neither of us 
could wear them after the second day's journey, 
from the soreness of our feet. With such pro- 
vision, through the help of the Lord in whom he 
trusted, he hoped to find his way to the river 
Berbice, or, if not, to some of the small rivers or 
creeks that lie between, which would bring him 
to the neighbourhood of the Indians he had 
formerly seen at the head of Mahaica Creek. 
Having, however, already crossed a small creek 
which the Indians said flowed into the Berbice, 
we thought it probable this place might at some 
future time be reached from thence by water. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA 



"We both thought that if our mission were 
generally known among the Indians, and their 
confidence obtained, though we had not jet seen 
many more than twenty, the Lord might draw to- 
gether hundreds to hear the gospel of His grace, 
and oh, what a rich sheaf might be gathered by 
our Lord from among them at the time of harvest! 
Surely it must be for good that the Lord allows 
the spirits of his servants to be so fervent when 
praying for them. Our dear brother told me 
that he felt more liberty than he ever enjoyed 
in his spirit, and better health in body. He 
said, he would gladly spend his life in serving 
the Lord among these dear people (if it were His 
will,) and believed he could endure the climate 
and fatigue in the service. And who can say 
that the mission, however insignificant it may 
appear in contrast with others, is not the opening 
of a door by the Lord Himself to a people among 
whom the feet of those who bear the glad tidings 
never yet trod, the light of the love of Jehovah 
Jesus never shone? If the Lord open an effectual 
door, who can shut it ? 

" After leaving our brother Meyer with the 
Indians as before stated on the 20th, we, through 
the mercy of God, arrived safe at Urawly Cobra 
on the banks of the Demerara, from whence we 
had started on the evening of the 22nd." 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



While C — -A — and his little party of blacks 
proceeded down the river to the Glasgow estate, 
and, gathering the church together, gave thanks 
to God and rehearsed these things in their ears, 
brother Meyer was kindly conducted from one 
settlement to another, at each of which he spake 
to the Indians in their own tongue,"of the ruin 
wrought by sin, and redemption through Jesus 
Christ. At length he reached a village on the 
banks of the Berbice river, called Kumaka, 
where many had been collected for a great feast: 
the feast was over the day before he arrived, 
and the Indians were taking a day's rest before 
breaking up their assembly. Meyer, arresting 
the attention of one principal man, declared " he 
had come with a message from God, that God 
loved them, that they were sinners against God 
exceedingly, but that God had given His Son to 
die for their sins — that He had now risen again, 
and opened the kingdom of heaven for all who, con- 
fessing their sins, believed on Him and His atoning 
blood for pardon." The Indian went round and 
told them that the white man was come with a 
message from God, and he repeated what Meyer 
had said. Upon this they all came to him, 
offering their hands, then brought up their 
children and made them offer their little hands 
to him, then they sat around, and he spoke to 



m BRITISH GUIANA. 



them of Jesus and the resurrection. When he 
paused in his discourse the Indians at first would 
speak, till one of them said, " We must not 
speak, we must all hear," then they were all 
attention till he had concluded. Here he re- 
mained some days, speaking the word to all, and, 
having expended his money, they freely gave 
him all he needed for food, and asked him to 
come and live among them, which he desired to 
do, feeling very strongly that now God had 
given him a place of service among those over 
whom his heart had so long yearned. 

Accepting the offer of a lad who was proceed- 
ing in his batteau a short way down the river, 
he was conveyed to a wood-cutting settlement a 
few miles below Kumaka, where a white man, 
with many blacks and a few Indians, resided ; 
here they were very kind to him. The white 
man allowed him to preach the gospel on his 
premises to the neighbours, and afterwards gave 
him breakfast. Our brother being now desirous 
of proceeding homewards by way of New Ams- 
terdam, the town at the entrance of the Berbice 
river, from whence he might obtain a passage to 
Demerara in some coasting vessel, sought assis- 
tance in descending the river, and, having no 
money, looked up to the Lord. The white man 
showed him that if he took a batteau from thence 

c 2 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



the river was so circuitous, that, after paddling 
many miles he would reach a small settlement 
only three miles from where he then was ; he 
advised him therefore to walk these three miles 
through the forest, and there seek assistance to 
proceed further down. To this Meyer agreed, 
and the white man, conducting him to a path 
which led into the wood, directed him carefully 
to follow it, and then left him to walk on alone. 
This the Indians had never done, knowing how 
very difficult it is for a stranger to keep the forest 
track. Meyer, with his hammock and pack on 
his shoulders, walked on, but soon must have 
left the path and wandered from the right course, 
indeed, he acknowledged that more than once he 
came upon his own steps again. It is exceedingly 
difficult, if once you deviate but a few yards 
from the faint track in these unfrequented 
forests, to recover it again, while the lofty trees 
so obscure the light of the sun that it is im- 
possible to correct your course by that. He 
walked with little intermission the whole of that 
day ; when the sun set he hung up his hammock 
to the trees, and fell in that to sleep. At morn- 
ing light he sought direction from the Lord, 
and pursued his journey, literally not knowing 
whither he went, without food or water. In the 
afternoon he came upon two pine-apples which 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 

he ate, as also many berries. As the shades of 
night closed in around him again, he swung his 
hammock to the trees, and commending himself 
to the Lord who bought him, slept till morning. 
At break of day he cried unto the Lord for help, 
and besought Him not to let him die in the 
forest thus, if his death should discourage or 
stumble others, and cause them to think his 
humble mission to the Indians had not been of 
Him or for His name. He then set forth again, 
looking to the Lord for guidance, and in the 
afternoon, to his great joy, lighted upon the 
banks of a small creek or river, where also he 
discovered recent traces of people and the re- 
mains of a fire. Here, then, being very faint, 
leaves and berries his only food, he determined 
to remain, as, if he died here, his body was sure of 
being one day found, and, taking out his writing 
materials, he wrote down a journal of all that 
had happened since his brother C— A — left him, 
giving a full account of himself, with directions 
to whom all his papers and effects were to be 
conveyed. Then he hung up his hammock, and 
thus ended the third day, when, exceedingly 
happy in the Lord, though hungry and faint in 
body, Jesus gave His beloved sleep. The whole 
of the next day he lived principally on leaves, 
being afraid to search for berries in the wood 

c 4 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



lest he should lose his way, and his body lie 
concealed in the forest ; for he thought it his 
duty to arrange if possible that his body and 
papers might be found, for the satisfaction of his 
wife and brethren. On the morning of the fifth 
day he was too weak to leave his hammock or to 
gather leaves ; persuaded that his hour was now 
come to leave his body, he commended his spirit 
to Him who had loved him and given Himself 
for him, who had given unto him eternal life, 
and would raise his body at the last day ; he 
felt that he had life in Him who was risen from 
the dead, that he could not die, but should rest 
in Him whom he loved and served, yea, that he 
should find life in thus losing it. While thus 
reposing his soul by faith in Jesus' bosom, he 
was startled by the report of a gun near him ; he 
listened awhile, when he heard a sound of voices 
on the water ; raising himself in his hammock, he 
perceived on the creek a canoe full of Indians 
approaching ; he then, gathering all his remain^ 
ing strength, shouted and waved his hand ; they 
came to the shore and approached him in his 
hammock ; he made the signs of hunger, and 
they brought from their canoe ready cooked fish 
for him to eat, from the creek also water to 
refresh his thirst. After awhile, reviving a little, 
he told them his story, and how he was lost in 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



the forest when seeking his way by the side of 
the river Berbice. They told him he had wan- 
dered far to the Abarry Creek, by the banks of 
which he then lay (this is the boundary between 
Demerara and Berbice counties) ; they then 
took him with all his things to their canoe, and 
conveyed him safely down the stream to their 
own village, where every attention was paid to 
him by their women to restore his strength, and 
where he remained all the next day. The 
following morning the Indians took him through 
an old canal into the Berbice river, and brin^ino; 
him to a missionary station about 10 miles from 
the town of New Amsterdam, left him with the 

missionary there. Mr. D , of the London 

Missionary Society, and his wife, received him 
in the name of a disciple with much Christian 
love. There he soon recruited his strength and 
enjoyed Christian fellowship, exchanging his 

thoughts freely with Mr. D on Christian 

missions, on Committee management, on ap- 
pointed salaries, and on the introduction of the 
arts and sciences as handmaids of the gospel, 
brother Meyer expressing his desire to be used 
of God in bringing the Indians to Christ, just as 
they were, and then the new life they would 
possess in Him would regulate their future man- 
ners and ways. 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



This kind Christian brother gave Meyer five 
dollars, and procured a passage for him to New 
Amsterdam, from whence he arrived safely in 
George Town on the night of December 17th, 
making the 27th day since our brother C. A. 
left him far in the interior with the Indians, 
alone. On the morning of December 18th he 
sailed for T — M — on the Essequibo coast, from 
whence he had set out six weeks before, and 
we may well imagine how our Christian friends 
resident there, with his own wife and children, 
joyfully received him. 

Thus had the Lord indeed led him out and 
brought him back, giving him every earnest and 
encouragement that He would use him and sustain 
him as His servant in the gospel to the Indians, 
if he went forth in faith. 

I particularly remark the dealings of the Lord 
with John Meyer after he had, in his destitution 
at the white man's place, sought unto Him for 
help. Had he reached his destination, which he 
might in an hour and a half at most, he might 
have been a beggar both for food and passage 
the whole way to Amsterdam. His character 
and mission unknown and unappreciated, he 
might have met with insult and neglect ; where- 
as, having sought unto the Lord, He led him 
certainly to all appearance out of the way many 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



miles, to the borders of Demerara, and from the 
haunts of civilized men ; He allowed him to 
suffer hunger indeed, but it was "to prove him 
and make him know, that man does not live by 
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth 
out of the mouth of God, " and that word did 
sustain and satisfy him. Just at the moment of 
need the Lord brought to his assistance those 
very persons whom Meyer had gone out to serve 
w 7 ith the bread of God, and God made them 
serve him in his dying state with the bread that 
perisheth, and so cast him upon the love and 
kindness of the poor Indians themselves, while 
they, by a kind of instinct given them by God, 
conducted him at once to a brother Christian 
and fellow-labourer in the gospel, who, in his 
turn, had an opportunity of serving his Lord, 
by ministering to the need of his fellow-servant, 
and furnishing Meyer with the means of return- 
ing safely to his family, and all this bringing 
forth fruit to the glory of God by Jesus 
Christ. 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



CHAPTER II. 

He was, indeed, warmly greeted by the black 
brethren and sisters who met for worship near 
T— — M- — — , and on requesting their prayers 
and sympathy in the service for which he now 
desired to be especially devoted, they not only 
responded with their prayers, but readily came 
forward with their contributions to assist him 
in reaching the place of his future labours. 

It being, however, much laid on the hearts 
of brethren that C — A — should make one 
more journey with Meyer up the Beibice river 
previous to his taking with him his wife and 
children, they proceeded to New Amsterdam in 
a passage steamer, taking with them four black 
brethren and a small batteau with provisions. 

The Lord prospered them all the way ; they 
w r ere enabled to repay our kind brother, Mr. 

D , with many thanks for his hospitality and 

liberal assistance to Meyer in his distress. They 
preached the gospel in many places, and arrived 
at Kumaka in safety, where the Indians received 
them gladly. A few miles below Kumaka, at a 
place called Lana, a German resides, a Mr. 

S , a timber cutter, in which calling he often 

employed Indians as well as black people. This 
person, immediately on ascertaining the purpose 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



of their visit to those parts, most kindly offered 
an unoccupied house for the residence of Meyer 
and his family, without rent, but this our brother 
Meyer would in no wise accept, as he desired 
especially to live with and as the Indians. They 
therefore sought for, and obtained, a lodging in 
the Indian village, for which they agreed to pay 
one dollar per month. The Indians, however, 
soon proffered their aid in building one expressly 
for him, which was afterwards accomplished, 
under his own directions, in the Indian fashion. 
It was little better than a shed partially enclosed, 
without flooring ; the bedstead contrived by four 
short posts driven into the earth, connected by 
laths, on which their bedding was placed. In 
such things as these, relative to the necessary 
care due to himself and family, did our brother 
especially evince his eccentricity. We may 
never have understood his peculiar thoughts on 
this subject, but he was so tenacious of interfer- 
ence, so fearful of appearing to depend on others, 
that the assistance Christians proffered in the 
way of necessaries, whether for food or shelter, 
often distressed his mind. He did not seem to 
perceive the Lord caring for him through others, 
but thought the unasked services of Christians 
to be intrusions between the Lord and himself. 
I would touch most gently on subjects connected 

D 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



with his peculiarities, and only do so at all for 
two reasons ; first, to explain why the sufferings 
and privations of his family were so great, and 
secondly, to show how the Lord gave grace to 
his Christian wife so meekly and zealously to 
give herself to the wxxrk as a true helpmate, 
unflinchingly, uncomplainingly, yea, rejoicingly ! 
— But chiefly may this narrative set forth the 
grace of God working so mightily in the devoted 
zeal of this His own child, who gave himself up 
so untiringly to the service of the Indians, and 
certainly did sacrifice his own, his partner's, and 
his children's health, in prosecuting this one 
desire of his heart, the leading of these children 
of the wilderness to the Lamb of God. 

Meyer, having decided in his mind that 
Kurnaka was the place to which the Lord would 
have him bring his wife and children, made 

arrangements with Mr. S that his sloop, 

which was constantly trading to and fro, should 
convey himself and family, with the effects and 
provisions the Lord might provide for them, to 
Kumaka, upon their arrival in New Amsterdam; 
and the brethren forthwith returned thither in 
their batteau, from whence, taking their passage 
in a trader for Demerara, they all arrived safely, 
full of hope as to the Lord's blessing on the pro- 
jected mission. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



We should not pass over the grace vouch- 
safed by our Lord to the dear black brethren 
who, in this, as in the last excursion of Meyer 
and C — A — , were their able and helpful com- 
panions. Before, in assisting to carry their 
burdens through the savannah : on this occasion, 
paddling them nearly 300 miles, going and 
returning, on the River Berbice. Remembering 
that these men were supporting themselves and 
families by the labour of their hands, and thus 
readily gave up their valuable time for the joy 
of fellowship in the gospel service. 

In the strength of the Lord, and borne for- 
ward, I may say, by the prayers and contribu- 
tions of brethren, John Meyer, his dear partner, 
and two little girls, set out for New Amsterdam, 

in Berbice, where Mr. S- received them, and 

in whose house they were detained nearly two 
weeks, before he left in his sloop for the upper 
part of the river. I need hardly say that this 
true evangelist lost no opportunity, while thus 
detained in New Amsterdam, of preaching Jesus 
Christ, by which it also pleased God to bring 
another soul to Himself, who is walking with 
her Lord to this day. I just remark here that 

although Mr. S allowed Meyer and his 

family to lodge, and himself to preach, in his 
house until the sloop sailed for Lana, yet 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



he never attended the gospel preaching then. 
They had a passage of eight days to Lana, from 
whence they were forwarded in a punt, or river 
barge, to Kumaka, where the Indians readily 
received them, and, conveying their luggage to 
the hill-top, placed it all safely in the Indian 
house which they had hired, 

John Meyer then commenced his labours 
among these people in the strength of the Lord 
alone. Friendless and unknown in the river, 
without the sanction or countenance of any, he 
had pitched his tent in the midst of this little 
settlement of Indians, looking up to Him who 
had said, " Go ye into all the world, and preach 
the gospel to every creature," to prosper his 
work. 

The habits of the Indians inhabiting Guiana, 
are purely patriarchal ; each nation being 
divided into families, of whom the patriarch, or 
grandfather is the acknowledged chief. The 
Carribean nation (a remnant of those who 
formerly inhabited the West Indian, or Carri- 
bean Islands), are located immediately on the 
coast, the Arrawack claiming the district 
behind them ; the Accaways within these ; 
while further inland, the Macusies, Warrows, 
&c, occupy the country. The patriarch of each 
family among the Arrawacks is generally called, 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



through their intercourse with the colonists, the 
Captain. Of all the Indian nations, the Arra- 
wack is the most docile, and many of them are 
employed by the colonists in hewing and squaring 
timber, and are known by English names, 

All who resided at or near the place, came to 
them morning and evening for instruction in the 
gospel. In the evenings he commenced teach- 
ing them letters, and to read their own language, 
which he had reduced to writing, having in a 
great measure discovered its grammatical con- 
struction, and been very assiduous in acquiring 
from them the distinct pronunciation of their 
words. Some of them speaking a little English, 
were a great assistance. The captain and his 
brothers having, when boys 3 been a short time 
under the instruction of a Missionary at New 
Amsterdam, knew a little of the English lan- 
guage, and had also become acquainted a little 
with the letter of the gospel ; but, alas ! they 
were only puffed up with pride, and less willing 
to be taught than the others ; feeling themselves 
as they thought, already enlightened above their 
felhyws : and still blinded by Satan, ignorant of 
their own and the world's sin, there was to them 
no light, no sweetness in the gospel grace. 

Our brother John Meyer soon desired the 
extension of his labours, and buying a small 

d 2 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 

batteau, visited the various settlements upon the 
river-side. For some distance below Kumaka, 
as well as for miles further up the river, at short 
distances from each other, the traveller will 
light upon small hamlets of two or three houses, 
a few yards only from the river's brink, inhabi- 
ted by the members of one family. These 
places he used frequently to visit, and speak to 
the people in their own tongue, the gospel of the 
grace of God. For some time he used regularly 
every other Sunday, to visit a place six or seven 
miles below Kumaka, where many black and 
coloured families lived. There he would preach 
the gospel, and teach the children ; but when 
some few of them believed and turned to the 
Lord, and the call to godly living rebuked and 
exposed the evil conduct of the majority, Satan 
stirred up much bitter enmity against the word, 
and, of course, against him who preached it. 

It was but a few months after he had taken 
up his abode at Kumaka, that a chief woman of 
the Indians there, the widow of the former 
Captain, was pricked to the heart for her sin, 
and, rinding peace through the blood of Jesus, 
confessed she had now in Him all that her soul 
desired ; she was baptized and received into 
fellowship. The conversion of this dear Indian 
was the commencement of God's work among 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



them, and was, also, God's great provision for 
the succouring of Mrs. Meyer and her children 
in the sore hardships that soon pressed upon 
them. Her name was Catherine ; her present 
(i. e. her second) husband, named Thomas, soon 
followed her to the feet of Jesus, then her 
nephew and niece, then a sorcerer, or, in the 
Indian language, a Pehiman, being blind, was 
delivered from the power of Satan by the word 
of God, and, confessing to Jesus as his Lord, 
who had washed away his sins, was baptized 
with the others. Not long after, nine others 
of the tribe who lived at Kumaka, believed and 
w r ere baptized. Satan, now trembling under 
the power of Christ in His word, stirred up the 
spirit of envy and jealousy in the hearts of the 
Captain and his brother, seeing that with their 
superior knowledge, as they thought, they were 
not considered Christians, or allowed in fellow- 
ship ; and from henceforth they became avowed 
enemies. 

In the mean time our brother Meyer contrived 
to reach, partly in his batteau, partly on foot, 
the last Arrawack settlement called "Manaka," 
and while he was there, preaching peace by Jesus 
Christ, and warning of judgment to come, a 
young Indian (a Pehiman or sorcerer), who sat 
in the midst of the company, cried out, "Kid- 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



ivan, kidwan" which in their language signifies 
" It is true, it is true ! ,? being equivalent to " I 
believe, I believe ! " This also proved the 
power of God to his salvation, and he was soon 
after baptized. Our brother, continuing his 
visits to this place, in a few months after nine 
more were received, seven women and two men, 
one of the women being of the Accaway nation. 
These visits of Meyer to Manaka were attended 
with much toil and risk, being undertaken by 
him alone, in a very small batteau, the navigation 
being dangerous, owing to the rapid tides, the 
numerous stumps of trees, and sometimes, large 
floating logs, his tiny and frail vessel would have 
to encounter ; especially as the intense heat ren- 
dered it necessary he should journey by night. 
At those times he would paddle seven hours 
without a rest ; and often, just as sinking into 
sleep, the paddle would have slipped from his 
grasp, he would be awakened by the night bird's 
scream, an alligator's plunge, or a tree falling 
into the stream, and, thanking God for his pre- 
servation, cheerfully press on his way. When 
the tide turned, unable to proceed against the 
current, he would fasten his canoe to a tree, and 
wait the returning water ; and, stretched in the 
bottom of his little barque, seek refreshment 
from his weariness in sleep. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



He remained generally two, sometimes three, 
weeks, on Ms visits to Manaka, inhabiting an 
Indian hut, without chimney or flooring, and 
living on whatever fare the Indians gave him. 
Indeed, they had always been ready to share 
with him whatever they had ; but until they 
had been converted to God, and then found 
pleasure for the Lord's sake, in communicating 
of their carnal things to him who taught them 
spiritual things, he never received without giving 
something in return. Their provision was pre- 
carious, sometimes cassava bread alone, though 
generally with fish, and at times, when success- 
ful in hunting, with meat. Wild game abounded 
in some parts, consisting of Birds, — two species 
of pheasant, the anaquois, and small maroody, 
two species of turkey, the parvis, and large 
maroody ; Beasts,— two kinds of deer, the 
peccary, or wild hog, the tapir, and water horse, 
each a species of the hippopotamus, — the lobba, 
and the acouti ; they also feed on monkeys, and 
consider the large baboon a dainty. 

Twelve months of Indian life had nearly 
passed away, when our sister Meyer was safely 
delivered of a little boy ; but the exposure oi 
her sleeping-room to the night air, having 
neither shutters nor glass for the windows, nor 
door to close up the entrance, the earth itself 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



for her chamber floor, caused her so to suffer 
that her life was despaired of. She became 
delirious, and, at length, insensible from weak- 
ness, and was considered irrecoverable. The 
old Indian sister, Catherine, who, with all the 
care she could, watched over her, had left the 
house in distress, never expecting her to wake 
again, when it pleased the Lord to revive her ; 
she was alone, and before her memory could 
recal her present situation, her eyes rested upon 
a large serpent, suspended from the beam imme- 
diately over her head ; she screamed faintly, and 
Catherine rushed to the chamber, and, perceiving 
the reptile, called the Indians to their assistance, 
who succeeded in making it retreat to the forest, 
the fear of injuring Mrs. Meyer in her low state 
deterring them from despatching it with their 
guns. The Lord having so far restored her, the 
Indians administered those remedies and restora- 
tives which experience had shown to be often 
efficacious ; on this occasion a decoction from 
the root of the cotton tree proved most bene- 
ficial, so that the mother and infant were spared. 

I have hitherto foreborne to mention many 
severe trials to which Meyer, his wife, and chil- 
dren were exposed ; especially on their first 
vears residence at Kumaka. Though seldom 
troubled with musquitoes, they were subjected 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



to a sore plague of very small flies, from which, 
at some seasons of the year, nothing but a thick 
smoke can deliver you ; myriads of them occupy- 
ing your eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, so that it 
would be impossible to eat, did they not fill the 
house with smoke by burning damp grass, — the 
remedy itself being evil enough. These dimin- 
utive flies prevail at certain seasons in the sandy 
places, and to such a grievous extent, that it is 
nearly impossible to walk at all over the sandy 
plains, though they are generally covered with 
long grass. I speak from experience, having 
been driven back nearly blinded by them in an 
attempt to explore the open country behind the 
village of Kumaka. The Chigoe fleas are also 
very numerous there, and all of them, especially 
the children, suffered much from these little 
insects burrowing and laying their eggs in the 
flesh of their feet and toes. Indeed, when our 
brother C — A — visited them, which he did before 
the little boy was born, walking across the coun- 
try from Demerara river, he found them in a 
deplorable condition with their eyes, which had 
become so inflamed from the irritation of the 
little flies, that for some time the children were 
entirely blind. Thus were their faith and con- 
stancy soon tried, and they had not only to 
believe, but suffer for His sake. 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



Our dear brother, C — A — 's visit was most 
opportune, and exceedingly refreshing to them 
all at this time, though at a great cost of toil 
and danger to himself in tracking the wilderness 
from one river to the other without guide or 
path to follow ; but having some of the Lord's 
bounty through His children to carry for them, 
and feeling strongly impelled in spirit to under- 
take the journey, he, committing himself to the 
Lord's care, set off with three black brethren, 
and by the help of a pocket compass, keeping a 
due east course, from a part of Demerara river 
he deemed parallel with Kumaka, after four days' 
severe walking, and resting under trees at noon, 
— came out on the Berbice within a mile of that 
village, which they soon reached. They were 
mutually refreshed with each other's company, 
and brother C — A— rejoiced much through all 
their troubles and discomforts, when he sat 
down before the Lord among the Indians and 
blacks on the first day of the week, to commem- 
orate the Saviour's love, and " show forth His 
death until He come." Truly he felt that the 
sufferings of the wilderness are not worthy to be 
compared to the glory that shall be revealed in 
us. Although unable to speak in the Arrawack 
tongue, the Lord filled his heart and opened his 
mouth toward the little assembly of believers, 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



and as he rejoiced in his fellowship with those 
who were partaking of the same loaf, he compared 
their now happy state with what they were a few 
months back, and what those then were who still 
rejected the great salvation, and neglected to wash 
their robes in the Saviour's blood. All this being 
interpreted to the Indian brethren, comforted and 
established their hearts, while Satan, ever watch- 
ful for evil, and finding our natural hearts so 
ready for his fiery darts, stirred up such jealousies 
and envies in some, who till then had regularly 
attended the word, that they went back offended, 
as though they were despised and the others 
chosen. 

After our brother, C — A — , returned from 
them, which he did, through mercy, in safety, 
many enemies rose up against John Meyer and 
his labours. Having discovered that an Indian 
woman, constantly attending his preaching, had 
recently promised her daughter to a coloured 
man, who had already one Indian wife and two 
children, he besought her not to sacrifice her 
child so ; and that if she valued her own soul, or 
her daughter's, she would pause, and consider if 
anything but misery could result from such an 
union. This so stirred the enmity of the man in 
question, that he more than once threatened the 
life of Meyer. Moreover, such evil reports were 

E 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



spread of him as a deceiver of the Indians, and 
making them his servants, that the magistrate of 
the river, giving heed to them, warned Meyer to 
quit the house he lived in, as none but Indians 
were the legal occupants of the soil, without a 
license from the Government. Upon this the 
sister Catherine took them, with their children, 
into a house of her own, the best she had ; and, 
from that time, they abandoned the other. The 
Indian brethren, alarmed by the magistrate's 
interference, were seriously meditating a retreat 
with Meyer into the parts distant from the river ; 
but while they waited on the Lord in prayer for 
direction, Meyer visited the magistrate, explain- 
ing his position, and simple labours with the 
gospel, among the Indians. The magistrates 
heart was now turned ; and, perceiving he had 
been wronged, henceforth became his protector 
and friend. Thus did the good Lord defend and 
protect His servant. 

After this Satan stirred up very bitter enemies 
among the unconverted Indians. An Indian 
brother, named Frederick, having, in his heathen 
condition, committed his children to the sole care 
of the Captain and his brother, mentioned above, 
brother Meyer showed him his responsibility to 
God concerning these, his children ; that God 
had given them to his care, and now that the 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



Lord had brought him to himself, and given him 
life in Christ, he must seek to lead his children 
to Jesus also. Frederick felt the truth of all that 
Meyer said, and became extremely anxious to 
recover his children from these men. Alas ! one 
of them, a little girl, was given up to the Captain 
as his betrothed wife, according to Indian custom. 
This child, with a younger brother, the enraged 
Indian indignantly refused to restore, and from 
that time their hatred and active enmity against 
Meyer never ceased. 

Poor Frederick succeeded in recovering his 
eldest son, John Bart, who left them, and came 
to his father ; but the little girl and boy the Cap- 
tain and his brother determined, at all costs, to 
detain ; when, lo ! before them all the Lord made 
bare His arm. First, the little girl, then the little 
boy, sickened, and died. Both faded out of the 
grasp of these wicked and determined men, and 
He who hath said, " All souls are mine," asserted 
His own right, and took both these little ones 
from the evil to come. 

The sudden death of these children, at this 
time, had a manifest effect on the minds of the 
believers, as also on many others around ; and 
there is no doubt but that God brought several 
to own His grace. Especially let us remark His 
hand in saving the eldest of Frederick's children, 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



who escaped to his father, and survived ; for he 
is breaking bread with the saints, and walking 
with God by faith at this day. Thus did the 
Lord manifest His sympathy with His servant 
Meyer, and His word spoken by him, and reprove 
before them all this great sin of the flesh " with- 
out natural affection." 

I have mentioned that John Meyer had been 
in the habit, when at Kumaka, of visiting a place 
some seven miles further down the river, every 
other Sunday, keeping also a school there after 
gospel preaching. In these visits he always 
carried with him his wife and children. It was 
a hazardous journey with them all in an open 
bateau ; and now that an infant was added to 
their company he procured a larger and a covered 
boat for their better conveyance. In order to 
accomplish this, he parted with what is generally 
considered an almost necessary instrument, — a 
watch, a gold watch, belonging to his wife. I 
believe that his peculiar views and feelings con- 
cerning the possession of anything composed of 
this precious metal, rendered him always uneasy 
at her having in her keeping so un-Indian, though 
so useful, an article. However, it was well indeed 
that for it he procured the comfort and safety of 
a better boat. Several persons, chiefly blacks, 
were turned to the Lord at this place, and not- 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



withstanding the increasing opposition of some, 
the grace of our Lord Jesus abounded towards 
many in the neighbourhood, especially among 
Indians, 

Wherever John Meyer lighted in his journeys 
on companies of Indians, whether Arrawacks or 
Accaways, some believed. He chiefly divided 
his time between Kumaka and Manaka, at which 
places he diligently taught the Indians to read 
their own tongue, composed hymns to Jesus in 
Arrawack, and commenced translating portions 
of Scripture into that language. At Kumaka he 
used a small printing-press a brother had fur- 
nished him with in Demerara, by which he 
printed hymns, portions of Scripture, and voca- 
bularies of Arrawack words and sentences, with 
the conjugations of verbs, as he learnt them from 
the mouths of the natives. Sometimes he visited 
the town of New Amsterdam, to procure neces- 
saries. When there he seemed burning with the 
desire of saving souls. He preached in the mar- 
ket-place in the day, in a house in the evening, 
and distributed large numbers of gospel tracts. 
He was very simple concerning the world, his 
mind being chiefly occupied with the love of 
God, the blessings of salvation, the hope of glory, 
and it was his earnest desire to carry out literally 
in his walk and conversation all the words and 

e2 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. His 
often failure, through mental infirmities, caused 
him continual distress and humiliation ; and with 
many groans, and tears, and prayers, did he 
" press on to the mark of his high calling of God 
in Christ Jesus." 

Shortly after he had procured the covered boat, 
the calumnies of enemies were such that he re- 
solved his wife and family should always accom- 
pany him on his visits to Manaka ; and hence 
came much trouble and suffering to the wife and 
children. Manaka lay two days' journey higher 
up the river, and between three and four miles 
from the water side. The creek, by which this 
Indian settlement was connected with the river, 
being impervious, through the luxuriant growth 
of trees and rank grass, they could only reach it 
on foot, carrying their baggage with them ; while 
the path, leading through a swamp, was often up 
to their middle in water ; so that sometimes after 
being two nights out in the boat, they had to con- 
clude their journey — mother, and infant boy, with 
two little girls, by wading a considerable way 
through mud and water to their humble abode. 
This consisted of a conical shaped hut, with a 
small arched entrance. A partition across the 
centre, with an open door- way, formed an inner 
sleeping apartment, in the wall of which was a 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



small aperture for a window. On the floor of 
the first apartment the fire was lighted, and the 
simple meal cooked. Here they generally 
remained for three weeks at a time, living on 
fish and cassava bread ; and from hence did our 
brother Meyer make many important excursions, 
carrying forth the Bread of Heaven in the 
preached gospel to distant settlements of Indians. 

I shall here relate two instances of the Lord's 
care over this family on these journeys. It was 
a dark and gloomy night when the boat, thus 
freighted, stopped at high water, and was, as they 
thought, safely moored to the trees on the river's 
brink. Meyer and the Indians had landed to 
hang their hammocks beneath a shelter hastily 
contrived with palm leaves, while the mother, 
with her babe, and two little girls, remained in 
the boat to sleep. Having put her children to 
rest, the mother, wearied with her journey, com- 
mending herself to the Lord's protection, laid her 
down, but could not sleep. Finding the Indians' 
fishing gear at hand, the fish being abundant 
near the boat, she tried the fishing for an hour 
without success, and again sought sleep in vain ; 
she then sat up, and looking at the boat, perceived 
it falling over on its side, and that the stump of 
a tree, which ihe water had covered when the 
tide was high, was, now that the water had much 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



fallen, protruded beneath the cover of the boat, 
and was on the point of oversetting her, with the 
children, into the river. She cried for help, and 
the Indians were but just in time to save their 
lives. Notwithstanding this, again were the 
mother and the children's lives jeopardized ; 
while Meyer and the Indian crew, wearied with 
their lengthened exertions, having tied the boat 
to the shore, hung up their hammocks to the 
trees and slept, leaving the mother and children 
in the boat. They were all in sound sleep, when, 
the river's bank being steep, and the tide falling, 
the boat fell over to the deep side, and had not 
one of the children, falling from the seat into the 
boat, by its cries awakened the mother, who 
called the Indians to the rescue, they had all 
been drowned. But, as the mother says, the 
angel of the Lord encampeth round about His 
people, and these repeated deliverances increased 
her confidence in Him, rather than awakened her 
fears at danger. 

I will here, for the encouragement of all in the 
Lord's service, and with gratitude for His pre- 
serving mercies to this His servant, introduce a 
few circumstances of danger and deliverance, as 
related by Mrs. Meyer, and which occurred during 
her residence of four years and a half among these 
Indians, and thus let her speak for herself. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



Deliverances from Poisonous Snakes. 

" Arriving late one evening at Manaka, carry- 
ing my luggage to the sleeping-room, while 
passing round my little bedstead, which was 
fixed in the earth, I touched with my foot on 
something that made a noise. Being too busy to 
notice it, I returned again for more things, when, 
passing the same spot, I pushed my foot upon the 
same thing, which gave out a sound terrible to 
my ears, knowing it to be the deadly warning of 
the rattle -snake. I could hardly speak, and 
looked to the Lord my help. My husband, who 
was in the outer apartment, called to the Indians 
to drive it away. I motioned silence, and with 
confidence in my Lord Jesus, taking a light, 
walked forward, and placed it on the ground, 
when it shone full on a large rattle-snake, coiled 
round the foot of the bedstead, and which the 
Lord, though I had twice pushed it with my foot, 
restrained from striking me with its deadly venom. 
An Indian then brought his gun, and shot it at 
the place. 

"Another time, on arriving there, we found a 
hole in the earth underneath our bed, where the 
snakes dwelt, and went up and down, and which 
we were afraid to disturb. After two or three 
days they left the house ; but can you imagine 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



my feelings, and temptations to fear, when obliged 
to step out of my bed at night in the dark to 
attend the dear children sleeping in their ham- 
mocks in the next apartment ? Yet the conscious- 
ness of God's keeping us, in whose blessed service 
we were engaged, and w 7 ho had kept us in so 
many dangers, strengthened my heart, so that I 
could go boldly forward trusting in Him, as well 
as not loving our lives unto death, if it were His 
will. 

" At this same place (Manaka), there was a 
small creek, where I used to bathe the children, 
and wash our clothes. I was there one evening 
washing, with the children around me. As I 
hung a cloth on a small tree, a large and deadly 
snake* erected his head close to my hand. I 
called to the children to go behind me, and 
retreated slowly, w 7 ith my face to the irritated 
reptile. As I receded from him he moved slowly 
away. 

" When at Kumaka, in our first house, with 
the baby in my arms, hearing a noise in the 
thatch over my head, I quickly stepped out of 
the door, when a large snake dropped at my feet, 
and fled without hurting me. In the same house 
a poisonous snake, of the same kind, met me at 

* The Abarrie. This kind is very formidable, noted for 
its fierceness, and, when disturbed, immediately assailsyou. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



the entrance of my bed-room, and, turning round, 
left me unharmed, after touching my foot.. An- 
other time I was taking pork out of a barrel, 
when a snake, of the same venomous species, 
climbing up, put his head with my hand into the 
barrel, and retreated without harm. Again, at 
Kumaka, in the act of opening a shutter of leaves 
in my bed-room, I put my hand upon a poisonous 
snake, not seeing it ; he went out upon the 
ground, and following him, I struck him with a 
shovel, fastening him to the earth." 

Deliverances from Tigers. 

" One evening, at Manaka, I went with Clara 
an Indian girl, and the children, to wash in a 
creek about ten minutes' walk from the huts. 
While in the act of washing my children, I felt 
an unaccountable horror come over my spirit, as 
though I was in danger, and could not escape. 
So strong was the feeling, that, without being 
able to assign any reason, I hurried away with 
the children as they were ; and scarcely had we 
reached the house, when we heard the tiger's cry 
and howl at the very spot. 

" After this, at the same place (Manaka), we 
were all aroused in the night by the cries of men, 
women, and children. We heard shouting, as of 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



some wild animal being chased, and the report of 
a gun, with the voices of men, made us rejoice to 
think the Indians had killed a tapir, or some 
forest game. In the morning we were called to 
see a large tiger, which John, one of the brethren 
from Kumaka, had shot, after it had killed a dog 
and a fowl, and was in the act of taking from a 
hammock a child, with whom a woman was 
sleeping. The shaking of the hammock aw r oke 
her, and seeing the tiger, she cried out in terror, 
which aroused all the men ; he was shot by J ohn 
before he could escape. Our three children were 
sleeping in their hammocks in the outer room, 
with no door to secure the entrance, and the 
beast, prowling for his prey, might as easily have 
come in there ; but no, surrounded with dangers, 
and all kinds of hurtful insects, we were never 
harmed, except through the sufferings and trials 
that came from the position we had purposely 
taken, of dwelling as the Indians, to gain their 
full confidence, and win their souls for Jesus by 
the word. 

" Many more signal deliverances I could relate 
to show the perfect power of God, and that He 
can keep alive anywhere. Oh ! what a blessed 
God we have, who hears and answers prayer, 
whom we know as our Father in our Saviour 
Jesus, and have the Holy Spirit from the Father 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



and the Son dwelling in us. Is not this, though 
poor in this world, to be rich for ever ?" 

Thus much from our sister in the Lord, Mrs. 
Meyer, who being now delivered from the pecu- 
liar trials of this mission of grace to the Indians, 
is still sustained and comforted by her gracious 
Shepherd in the wilderness, waiting our Lord's 
return, and doing His will. 



CHAPTER III. 

I have before mentioned a visit of love paid them 

by C — — A , journeying across the wild 

country which lay between the rivers Demerara 
and Berbice. Since then our brother Meyer had 
been to see us in Demerara, coming over by 
water; and several brethren had also been over 
to him in the same way, carrying provisions and 
contributions with them. I would now speak of 
another overland journey that our dear brother 
C — — A undertook, and successfully accom- 
plished afterwards, when John Meyer and his 
family were in great need, a circumstance totally 
unknown to us. Their provision spent, no 



LABOURS OF JOHN METER 



money to procure food from the town, or from 
their neighbours on the river, the Indians absent 
on a hunting excursion, with literally nothing 
but a little cocoa left, they were rejoiced, just as 

the sun was setting, to perceive brother C 

A , with three black brethren, making their 

way to their habitation after a journey of three 
days. C A — — was the bearer of des- 
patches and greetings from us all, with the 
bounty of the Lord, £5 sterling, in dollars, from 
our well-known Christian friend and brother, 
Geo. Miiller, of Bristol. But the bearer of this 
bounty, with his company, was weary and hungry, 
having nothing left of his provision by the way 
but a little sugar, to which Meyer added the last 
of his cocoa ; and of this they were in the act of 
partaking, with thankfulness, as all they could 
procure, when the Lord, who knew of their need, 
and the coming of their hungry friends, had, two 
hours before, given the Christian Indians, for a 
prey, a fine tapir, half of which they now most 
opportunely arrived with, and which, in a short 
time, afforded them, with some cassava bread the 
Indians also procured with the money brought, 
a delicious supper, and afterwards, by salting 
and drying, with food for several days : the flesh 
of the tapir being as tender and good as the best 
beef. Thus had the Lord arranged that the 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



bounty He had given His servant Geo. Miillef, in 
England, for John Meyer, in British Guiana, 
should arrive, through C — ■ — A — — 's willing 
service, just at the right time ; while He, whose 
are all the beasts of the forest, enabled Meyer, 
and his Indian brethren, to furnish the bearers 
of this His grace with wholesome and nutritious 
food during their stay. I need hardly add, how 
great was the joy of the Indians in thus being- 
able to give such a supply to their friends in this 
time of need. 

One interesting fact I must here relate. An 
Indian woman at Kumaka, who, soon after the 
conversion of Catherine, having professed belief 
in Jesus, and been baptized, had for sometime 
withdrawn herself, from feelings of jealousy, and 
otherwise acted as though she was not one of the 
true sheep. At length, she fell sick nigh unto 
death. As she had shown much enmity towards- 
him, our brother Meyer visited her in love, 
speaking to her of the precious Saviour, His 
sufferings for poor sinners, and cleansing blood. 
She seemed glad to hear of that blessed name she 
had so neglected to honour, and her heart to 
soften. He went to her a second time, but she 
was insensible, and soon after died. In one of 
her houses Meyer perceived two Indians, whose 
countenances were familiar to his memory ; a 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



man and his wife, the latter nearly blind. As 
they seemed to recognize him, and desire to hear 
him, he called them to his home, and then 
discovered they were of those Indians with whom 

brother C A had left him on their first 

journey. They said they never could forget the 
words he spoke to them all during the eight days 
he was among them. They had felt it all true ; 
i. e., their great wickedness, as also the love of 
God in giving up His Son to die for sinnerSc 
That they believed with all their hearts on Jesus 
Christ ; and had been long hoping to see him 
again. That, at last, hearing he was preaching 
Jesus to the Arrawacks, in Berbice river, he and 
his wife had travelled together seeking him, but 
that coming to the Indian woman who had just 
died, she had warned them never to go near him, 
for he was a false teacher, and would lead them 
wrong. That they were astonished and delighted 
when he came in so unexpectedly, and told the 
dying woman the very same sweet words he had 
spoken to them at their own place. Upon this, 
Meyer, with two Indian brethren, paid them all 
a visit at the same place, when this man, his 
wife, and some others, were baptized ; and we 
find from his notes, that he penetrated in one of 
his excursions as far back as Arawa, above the 
falls in Demerara river, which place he had at 



IN BRITISH GUIANA, 



the first visited with brother C— — A — — , and 
there baptized two who believed in the Lord 
Jesus. The Lord only knows the full extent or 
fruit of his labours, since he used to tarry but a 
few days at each place in his visits, just long 
enough to state clearly to them the great truth of 
our fall and ruin in Adam, with the full and free 
redemption there is in Christ Jesus, through His 
blood : to declare the certainty of coming and 
eternal judgment, with the present gift of eternal 
life to all w r ho believe on the Son of God : to 
beseech them at once, and as they were, to be 
reconciled to God, now waiting to be gracious ; 
who was not now imputing sin to man, but 
beseeching all to be reconciled through faith in 
Him, who, though " He knew no sin, was made 
sin for us, that we might be made the righteous- 
ness of God in Him." 

Indeed, the simple faith of John Meyer, in pro- 
secuting his mission journeys, rendered him so 
improvident as to human resources, that, had 
not our gracious God felt his reliance on Him, 
and responded to his confidence, he had perished 
many times. He used to go forth in journeys of 
three weeks together, moving from village to 
village, living on what the Indians gave him. 
It happened once, that in several of the places at 
which he called, the Indians were from home ; 

f 2 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



so that he again went three days, living on fruits 
of the forest, chiefly pine-apples ; and many 
times did his wife, and those at Kumaka, almost 
despair of seeing him home again. 

These often journeys over the burning plains, 
with fastings and weariness, made rapid inroads 
on his constitution, and considerably increased his 
mental malady, so that, on his return to his 
family, fits of melancholy irritability broke in 
upon the joy of those days, which should have 
been days of repose among the little company of 
Christian brethren at Kumaka, who, joined by 
other Christians from various parts of the river, 
every first day of the week broke bread together, 
passing round the cup of thanksgiving, thus 
having fellowship in the once-offered body, and 
once- shed blood, of the adorable Saviour. At 
these times, when he was absent especially, they 
always poured out their prayers for this servant 
of the Lord, who had been the messenger of such 
good tidings to them in preaching peace by Jesus 

Christ. 

In the latter time of John Meyer's brief but 
laborious mission to these Indians, a circumstance 
occurred which drew into great prominence the 
grace that was given him, and proved bis intense 
love for his Lord's sheep, while, at the same 



IN BRITISH GUIANA 



time, it seriously impaired his constitution, and 
hastened the close of his labours. An interesting 
memoir, already published, of a mission to the 
Indians in the Essequibo and Pomeroon rivers, 
gives a detailed account of an evil white man, 
who practised upon Indian credulity in the river 
Massarooni, inducing numbers from all parts, but 
chiefly Accaways, to attend his prophecies con- 
cerning one who should come from heaven to 
fertilize, miraculously, and convert into a para- 
dise, a large portion of the Indian country, 
inviting all who desired permanent happiness to 
resort immediately thither. This foolish story 
spread far among the Indians, and received 
credence where the true gospel was unheeded. 
It reached the Accaway country at the head of 
Demerara river, and the Accaway families, 
giving heed to it, were all occupied in reaping 
their cassava, and making bread for their long 
journey, which they were about to prosecute in 
pursuit of terrestrial happiness. It happened at 
this time that Meyer, with his family and eight 
Christian Indians, had just arrived at Manaka, 
to visit the brethren there, when he heard that 
an Indian brother, with his wife, an Accaway, 
also a sister in the Lord, who had gone to visit 
her parents in the Demerara, were drawn into 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYEH 



the movement among the Accaway tribe, fully 
thinking that this expected One was no other 
than our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Our brother Meyer, grieved to the heart at 
the thought of these two Christians being so 
deceived with the rest of the Accaways, sent at 
once to Kumaka for sister Catherine's husband, 
Thomas, a faithful brother, and an Accaway 
Indian, to accompany him immediately to the 
head of Demerara river, in order, if possible, to 
deliver this brother and sister from the delusion; 
and, by preaching the truth as it is Jesus, unde- 
ceive the others. It was a long foot journey for 
the white man, already worn with frequent 
fevers and hard living, but his love of souls was 
great, his faith in God was strong, and he must 
set out. Meyer's money then amounted to only 
one dollar and three-quarters. The dollar he took, 
the remainder he left with his wife, and then set 
out with the Indians, leaving our sister Meyer, 
with a dumb Indian lad, Clara the little Indian 
girl, and three little children, to await his return 
at Manaka. Thus were these few weak ones 
left among the Indians located there, in a dwell- 
ing without a door even to close against the wild 
beasts at night. But Mrs. Meyer feared not ; 
she cast her burdens, both that of her travelling 
husband and helpless children, on Him who was 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



mighty, and who cared for her. The dumb 
Indian boy was fisherman for the party ; and 
Mrs. Meyer bought cassava bread from the 
neighbours with the little money she had. The 
supply of fish was abundant, the Lord sent plenty 
to the dumb boy's hook ; but at last the money 
was spent. The last piece had just been paid 
for cassava bread, when they rose from morning 
prayers, and they had only enough for that day. 
They had finished with gratitude their last meal, 
when one of the children who had gone out 
exclaimed, " Mamma, come, see, Harriet with a 
quake full of cassava bread !" This was true ; 
Harriet, an Indian sister from Kumaka, had 
just arrived with two Indian brethren, having 
been sent off express by sister Catherine with a 
bag of twenty-five dollars, sent by the Lord, 
through brother George Miiller, of Bristol, and 
a large Indian basket of cassava bread added by 
herself. 

This money having arrived in Demerara, 
per Packet, from our dear Christian brother, 
Geo. Miiller, it was pressed upon our hearts to 
send it off with the least possible delay. Brother 

C A being extremely ill at the time, 

the Lord stirred up some trusty black brethren, 
with one Indian, to be the bearers of this bounty 
for Christ's sake. I will, however, give here an 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



extract from our brother C A 's letter 

to brother and sister Meyer, sent with this 
money, which will show how the Lord was 
providing for them through the love of many 
hearts : — 

" Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, and 
all with you who love the Lord Jesus Christ in 
sincerity. You have been much on our hearts 
of late dear brother and sister. Much prayer 
has been offered up for you, and the prosperity 
of the work of the Lord among the Indians, 
mingled with thanksgivings for those already 
gathered through the preaching of the cross. 
Moreover, the Lord had put it into the heart of 

our dear brother T y, and others, to send 

supplies, judging that you must be in need, and 
just as the Lord was disposing the brethren to 

liberality here, brother S g received from 

dear brother Miiller, of Bristol, twenty-five 
dollars expressly for you, which all thought 
should, if possible, be sent immediately to you, 
overland, if the Lord should dispose some bre- 
thren cheerfully, and in faith, to undertake the 
journey. Right glad should I have been to be 
the bearer, if the Lord had allowed, but He has 
laid me low at present, and I am very weak in 

body. Brother S g has it much on his heart 

to visit you by the way of the sea and river, and 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 

this you may expect he will do, if the Lord per- 
mit, when certain articles of food and clothing, 
which brethren have it in their hearts to send, 
are ready ; but if you think of any things you 
much need, or that would be more acceptable, 
pray name them through the brethren who are 
the bearers of this — Frederick, Anky, an Indian 
named Micaiah, and William." 

Our sister scarcely knew how to thank the 
Lord for this fresh instance of His care, and 
minute arrangement of His mercies. The money 
leaving England, and reaching Demerara just as 
their supposed great need was laid upon the 
brethren's hearts there, — the hastening of the 
supply by brethren at once made willing for the 
arduous service, — their reaching Kumaka in 
safety, after three days' journey, — and the Indian 
sister, Catherine, despatching the Indians so 
promptly, with the needed supply of cassava 
bread in addition ! Surely " the hairs of our 
head are all numbered ;" " we are of more value 
than many sparrows ;" and the Christian, in the 
path of willing service and depending faith, can 
never be forgotten by God ! 

Mrs. Meyer now felt extremely anxious that 
Meyer should benefit by this timely help, as she 
felt assured he was suffering under heavy afflic- 
tions from peculiar misgivings and impressions 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



on her mind never before experienced. Three 
weeks and more had elapsed since he left them ; 
and at length he arrived at Manaka suffering 
intensely, and almost blind from inflammation in 
his eyes. He had succeeded in reaching the 
head of Demerara river, and found as reported. 
The Accaways, having reaped all their fields of 
cassava, did not plant again, as is their custom ; 
but, having baked their bread, were all on the 
eve of departure, with their full quakes of food 
for the long journey, full of hope ere long to 
reach the promised happy land. Meyer, with 
the aid of Thomas, as interpreter, set before 
these poor deluded Accaways, God's ivay of 
salvation, even His own Son Jesus Christ, and 
exhorted them to receive remission of their sins 
now, through faith in His blood, that they might 
wait for Him from heaven, when Pie should 
come to receive all His believers to His glory, 
changing their vile bodies, and making them like 
His glorious body, so that where He was there 
should they be also ! Showing them that the 
great Lord Jesus, — who was truly coming again 
in glory to receive the believers, and punish 
with everlasting destruction those who would 
not now obey His Gospel, — had expressly for- 
bidden any of His disciples to follow a voice 
saying, " Lo ! here, or Lo ! there " He is in 



IN BRITISH GUIANA, 



the wilderness, or in the chamber." That " the 
Lord would come Himself with a shout, the 
voice of the arch-angel, and the trump of God!" 
That this word they had heard was not true, but 
of the devil, to deceive them. 

Upon this, the aged people, and a few others, 
were convinced, and remained; but many, in 
their self-will, persisted. 

In this journey our brother Meyer suffered 
much from the want of food. Those who had 
wood-cutting establishments were unwilling even 
to sell anything to him, because he was holding 
up the light, and their deeds were evil ; but, 
especially, because he spoke much against the 
evil of giving the Indians rum, in payment for 
work, instead of money ; which most evil habit 
is not only defrauding them of the due price of 
their labour, but demoralizing and ruining them 
body and soul, being also expressly against the 
colonial laws. 

Bitter, indeed, was the enmity stirred against 
this servant of the Lord in the hearts of those 
who hated the truth, which he was the less able 
to bear as his mind and constitution gave way ; 
yet it caused him more intensely to appreciate 
the blessing of truth, and the value of souls. 
His eyes having recovered soon after his return, 
he visited the town to procure necessaries for 

G 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



the family; and while there, his zeal for the 
salvation of souls caused him to preach in the 
market every day, and in the evenings to many 
assembled at the sister's house, mentioned as 
having been brought to the Lord through his 

former testimony, in Mr. S 's house, on his 

first arrival in New Amsterdam, with his family. 
Hearing that a convict lay in the gaol awaiting 
execution for murder, Meyer obtained permission 
to see him twice. These interviews proving 
very unsatisfactory, the hopeless condition of the 
man, through unbelief, weighed heavily on his 
mind; and he returned to Kumaka much de- 
pressed in spirits. 

About this time, the writer of this Memoir, in 
company with his much-esteemed brother in 

Christ, Mr. C A , left Demerara in a 

small schooner for New Amsterdam, in order to 
visit Kumaka, and carry to brother Meyer, and 
family, the liberality of many Christians in 
Demerara and Essequibo. We took with us in 
the vessel a tent-boat, four brethren volunteers as 
a crew, and a load of provisions, with the con- 
tributions for Meyer. The reader may, perhaps, 
pardon here the intrusion of a little history of 
this journey, by which I became an eye-witness 
of some of our brother Meyer's life and labours 
among these interesting people. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



We set sail from George Town early in the 
morning, and did not reach New Amsterdam 
until the second morning after, being two nights 
out, and remaining on the schooner's deck the 
whole time, being the last night completely 
washed over with salt water from the heavy 
rollers, which prevail on that coast, and which 
made clean breaches over the vessel. Having 
little or no rest during our short voyage, we did 
not move onwards that day; but landing safely 
in our boat, were most kindly received in the 
house of our before-mentioned sister in Christ 
(ourselves, crew, cargo, and all), where we 
remained that night. Our arrival being known 
to the neighbours, a number of persons attended 
in the evening, to whom I was enabled to preach 
the riches of God's grace in His dear Son, At 
daylight we loaded our boat, and prepared for 
our voyage up the river, hoping, by strenuous 
rowing, to reach Kumaka in time for worship 
with the Church on the first day of the week, 
our party being increased by two Indian brethren 
left here for us by our brother Meyer, who was 
expecting our visit. Commending ourselves to 
the Lord, we embarked ; the wind proving fair, 
our sails well spread to the breeze, the well- 
freighted little barque bounding forward on 
the bosom of the broad river, soon left the 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



town, its shipping, and busy inhabitants, far 
behind. 

There is something very refreshing to the 
Christian's soul in the certainty that you are 
going forth on the Lord's service, with the Lord's 
own sanction and fellowship ; especially when 
you find yourself cheered with the mutual faith 
of those who, in the same spirit, are associated 
with you in service, and sitting with you at the 
feet of Him, who is to us now what the won- 
drous ladder was to Jacob in the wilderness, the 
communication of all God's grace and promise to 
his weary soul ; the revelation at once of present 
and future blessings. 

The companionship of such an one as the 
brother with whom I was then associated made 
the journey happy and profitable. With the 
exception of one very heavy squall of wind and 
rain, in which we were obliged to lower all sail, 
and totally lost sight of the river banks, we had 
a most favourable day's run, and reached, ere the 
tide turned to ebb, the hospitable dwelling of a 
settler and his family. He was of Dutch ex- 
traction, and received us kindly ; adding to our 
stock for supper some fresh milk from his cows, 
as also giving fresh fish to carry with us, which 
himself and children had been most successful in 
taking in their nets that evening. It w^as also 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 

comforting to hear brother C A — speak 

to him of the love of God in His unspeakable 
gift ; of the remission of sins, and the gift of 
righteousness ; of the end of this grace in a 
new creation where God would tabernacle with 
His holy perfect creatures, and death and tears 
would be unknown ; as it is w T ritten, " The 
tabernacle of God shall be with men, and He 
will dwell with them, and they shall be His 
people ; and God Himself shall be with them as 
their God !" Our kind host listened with much 
attention to the word, and his heart seemed 
to respond. He was by birth and education of 
the Dutch Reformed Church ; and seemed to be 
acquainted with the word of God. His family 
retiring to rest before the flood made, we 
remained in the gallery of his dwelling, unable 
to sleep for the musquitoes, until the crew sum- 
moned us to the boat, the stream now flowing 
upwards. A row of six hours brought day- 
light and the ebb tide, obliging us to land, and 
tie the boat. The shore afforded us a rising dry 
ground, the cool shade of spreading forest trees, 
smaller ones from which to suspend our ham- 
mocks, and dry fuel for our fire ; and, to crown all 
our comforts, there were no musquitoes. Sanc- 
tifying our little bivouac with the word of God 
and prayer, we hung up our hammocks, and 

G 2 



LABOURS OF JOHN ME Y Eli 



obtained refreshing sleep for a few hours, so that 
before the returning flood warned us to proceed, 
we had slept, breakfasted, and bathed ; then 
launching once more into the still, broad, and 
deep river, we were carried swiftly upwards by 
our oars and the favouring tide. 

The sun had set, and the night closed in upon 
us before the flowing waters, having reached the 
permitted height, turned back again to reach 
their ocean bed ; when, turning also our boat's 
head to the shore, our weary rowers gladly 
sought repose. Here a misunderstanding be- 
tween ourselves and the Indian brethren amused 
us not a little. Fearing rain might fall in the 
night, we had inquired of them if any deserted 
house or shed were at hand, and both replied 
in the affirmative. Having now landed under 
their direction, while they were bringing up our 
hammocks, &c, from the boat, with lighted 
candles we were searching all around for the 
expected house. At length, John, the Indian, 
pointed out the place he meant in the deep forest 
gloom, but not all the light our candles produced 
could discover a house where the Indian pointed 
as our resting place. Soon, however, John 
explained it to be an Indian halting-place, from 
its high and dry situation, with trees convenient 
for our hammocks to hang up. This discovery of 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



our mistake amused, but in nowise disappointed 
us, as the night continued fine. In a very short 
time a cheerful fire was raised, and refreshing 
ourselves with delicious tea, our hammock beds 
were soon made, and. we sank to rest under the 
green canopy of lofty spreading boughs, through 
which you might perceive each glittering star as 
it shone so calmly in the vault of heaven. 
With the dawn of day we launched again. It 
was the first day of the week ; and, by the 
distance we had yet to run, all hope of reaching 
Xumaka in time for worship was given up. We 
passed that day many settlements of blacks and 
coloured people, where the river's bank was 
open, with grass land, and many cattle feeding. 
The river Berbice is deeper and broader than 
the Demerara, is very peculiar from its winding 
course, and differs from the latter in flowing 
through so many open savannahs, and having 
such magnificent groups of palm-trees on its 
banks. A little before noon, the turning waters 
told our rowers it was time to rest ; and, accord- 
ingly, we landed at the foot of a pleasant wooded 
hill. Here, having secured our boat, we grouped 
ourselves in a shady place ; and, spreading a 
cloth on the ground, laid out our bread and 
wine, and passed a happy two hours in worship 
and praise, reading, and exhortation, and par- 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



took together of the same loaf, drinking also of 
the same cup, in remembrance of Him who was 
guiding us through the wilderness to His pro- 
mised glory. Our little church in the forest 
glade, consisting of two white men, three blacks, 
one mulatto, and two Indians, told us that there 
was with us " neither Greek nor Jew, circum- 
cision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, 
bond, nor free ; but that Christ was all and in us all." 

Late in the afternoon we once more launched 
upon the water, and reached, soon after eight 
o'clock, the foot of the steep hill, on the brow of 
which the Indian village of Kumaka stands. 
There we were kindly welcomed by the Indian 
brethren and sisters in the Lord, but found our 
brother Meyer in low spirits, having suffered 
much from his exertions in his late journey to 
town, We brought them a good stock of bis- 
cuits, flour, sugar, tea, &c. The Indians came to 
Meyer's house for evening prayers, and he spoke 
to them with great earnestness from the word, in 
their own language. We had prayer and com- 
munion together in the Lord, and concerning 
His work there, before retiring to rest, but could 
not help observing how shattered brother Meyer 
seemed in his health and nerves from his labours 
and hardships. Mrs. Meyer also, and the three 
children, were suffering in health ; the little boy 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



had been very ill. Indeed, their manner of life 
rendered it impossible they should thrive in their 
bodies ; their frequent journeys and nights out in 
the boat, exposure to the sun and rain, the huts 
they lived in, so pervious to the wind and wea- 
ther. We could not, however, hope for any 
change in these things, and could only cast them 
afresh on Him who had hitherto spared them, 
and certainly blessed the testimonies to His 
grace, and greatly owned the self-denying labours 
of His child and servant, John Meyer. Our 
stay was short, but sufficient to see the order of 
these Christians, and their value for the word, in 
their attendance at the hours for worship and 
expounding the word from the Scriptures of 
truth, growing thereby in grace, and the know- 
ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. On the upper 
side of the hill where this village stood, might be 
seen the huts of the Captain and his brother, who 
still retained their enmity to the truth, and those 
who loved it. Behind Kumaka grows a forest 
about a quarter of a mile in depth, from which 
you then emerge upon a fine undulating, open 
grass country, interspersed with groups of palm- 
trees, and saow-white hillocks of sand, over 
which a horseman might urge his steed with- 
out a check, even until he reached the deep and 
lofty forests that continuously skirt the river 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



Demerara. It is across this open country that 

our brother C — — - A , with the others, as 

soon as they could clear the forest ground, 
guided by a compass, and the eye of their Lord 
in heaven, have tracked their way to pay their 
kindly visits to the village of Kumaka. 

Having endeavoured to soothe and cheer the 
spirits of our brother Meyer, and joined our 
prayers and tears with sisters Meyer and Cathe- 
rine for his permanent recovery, we took our 
leave, at early dawn, of this dear company 
gathered from the forests to our Lord, and turned 
ourselves to reach, by the falling tides, the es- 
tuary of this mighty river, which we had, with 
very much toil, so recently left. Nothing of note 
occurred on our return. The first night we slept 
again in our hammocks beneath the forest trees ; 
part of the next was spent with our friend the 
Dutchman, who received us hospitably again, 
part of it in a tremendous thunder-storm and 
rain, which thoroughly wet our brethren at the 
oars ; after which, the tide turning, we anchored 
off the shore till daylight, getting no rest from 
the musquitoes, and so completely uncomfortable, 
that, as day dawned, we rowed against the tide 
to a village of black settlers, in one of whose 
houses, being kindly received, we partook of 
refreshments we had with us, and imparted to 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



our host, and some neighbours who came in, 
such as we had of the savour and knowledge 
of Christ in His gospel of grace. For this they 
seemed very grateful, and the tide now favouring, 
they set us forward from their water-side with 
thanks and good wishes, from whence we reached 
that afternoon, New Amsterdam, and engaging 
our passage in a vessel sailing for Demerara the 
next morning, passed another night under the 
roof of our Christian friend, preaching the gospel 
once more to a full room the evening of our 
arrival. The next morning we embarked, and 
in twelve hours reached the harbour, and landed 
in George Town, from whence we had set out. 

I have here, however, to state that Mr. S 

the German, mentioned in a former part of 
this memoir as a near neighbour of Meyer, was 
in town, unwell. Hearing of this, I called upon 
him, and found him much prejudiced against our 
dear brother, from the evil reports constantly 
circulated about him. I spoke seriously to him 
on the truth of God's own word. I told him that 
John Meyer was a servant of Jesus Christ, and 
of the truth. I besought him to enquire at his 
mouth for the gospel of God's grsce, and hoped 
he would soon feel the need of such a helper. 
That hour came. Not very long after he was 
taken very ill, and sent for Meyer. He, in his 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



ready love, visited him with the testimony of 

grace ; Mr. S received the love of Christ, 

and is walking in it to this day. But herein 
must we perceive the wisdom and the grace of 
Grod. Our brother Meyer was drawing near- to 

the close of his labours, and Mr. S was 

preparing of God to be a helper and friend to 
the little Indian flock, when bereft of the Evan- 
gelist who had been used to call them from dark- 
ness to light. 

The more our brother Meyer suffered from 
mental infirmities, and his body was worn by 
fevers, the more did the love of souls increase in 
his heart, with desire that the Lord's name might 
be magnified among men. A short time before 
his death he visited town. Previous to setting 
out, he had been most of a day in the water with 
the Indians, repairing some damage done to his 
boat. When in town he was very earnest in 
preaching and speaking to all whose attention he 
could arrest, of the judgment coming on sin, and 
the present redemption out of all through the 
blood of Jesus. He seemed to groan over the. 
unbelief of men, and mourn deeply the pressure 
of the darkness with which the god of this world 
envelopes the minds of those who believe not. 
He returned from town very ill with fever, and 
on the day after his return died in the arms of 



IN BRITISH GUIANA 



his beloved wife, who was thus left a widow, 
with her three children, and the prospect of soon 
giving birth to another, in the midst of this little 
group of Christian Indians. I need hardly say 
the mourning for him was very great among 
them, and those around, who were united with 
them in the blessings of God's free salvation. 

Our faithful brother in the Lord ? Mr. S , 

with many of the black and coloured population, 
attended at his funeral. According to the Indian 
fashion, his grave was dug in the floor of the 
dwelling, and there, in his simple coffin, was laid 
the body of the Lord's well-used servant, John 
Meyer ; w r ho, in the midst of many infirmities, 
never turned away his trust or hope from Jesus 
Christ, who had loved him, and given Himself 
for him ; who, though often cast down, was not 
destroyed, and by whom the Lord has made His 
voice heard in another language, and called out 
from another Gentile family some people for His 
name. 

Christian reader, we will not dwell on the 
infirmities or eccentricities of a departed brother 
in the holy faith, but upon the grace of God that 
was given him, the power of Christ working in 
and by him. He certainly was " crucified to the 
world, and the world to him." In his ministry 
of the Gospel he certainly " believed, and there- 

ii 



LABOURS OF JOHN METER 



fore spake." He sought the Indians for Christ, 
and was spent in his labours to bring them, 
through Christ, to God. Yea, it was to God his 
ministry brought them, and with God he left 
them. His death distressed them, bereaved them 
of an able teacher of the New Covenant, but it 
did not move them from their faith, or disturb 
their worship. His ministry especially 'taught 
them to lean only on Christ, to meet in the power 
of His name and Spirit. They were, as Chris- 
tians, one spirit with the Lord, and the Com- 
forter, the Holy Ghost, was with them, to guide 
them into all truth, help their infirmities, and 
bring to their remembrance the words of Jesus. 
Thus, never having been brought round a minis- 
try, but round Jesus ; never having been led to 
suppose their privileges as saints, or power for 
worship, depended on the presence or sanction of 
any man, the company continued assembling them- 
selves together on the first day of the week, to 
break bread, and on other evenings to pray and 
praise. They poured out their hearts in suppli- 
cation and thanksgiving to Him in whose name 
they met, and continued to realise the promise 
that where any meet in His name He would be 
in their midst. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 

CHAPTER IV. 

No sooner had the melancholy tidings of our 
brother Meyer's removal from his labours of love 

reached us, than C A , the faithful helper 

in his mission, and sympathizer in the welfare of 
the Indians, set off for Kumaka, by the way of 
the sea and river, taking with him a small 
bateau and three brethren, and remained some 
time with them, to the consolation of the mourn- 
ing widow and her little ones, as well as the com- 
forting and strengthening of the Indian brethren, 

and others, consorting with them. Mr. S 

felt deeply the loss they had all sustained, espe- 
cially having but just learned the value of that 
dear Saviour, and the word of His grace, which 
Meyer had so zealously taught. Accustomed to 
make the Indians understand enough for all his 
worldly purposes, in a kind of broken Dutch dia- 
lect, he was unable to assist them in the Arrawack 
tongue, either in reading the Scriptures, or in 
their hymns, or joining them intelligently in 
prayer, at least, only in a very small degree. 

Our brother C A , also, being unable to 

speak or teach in the Arrawack, the Indian 
brethren were now left to feed upon Christ as 
they had learned Him, and felt the real presence 
of the Holy Ghost in stirring up their minds to 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



remembrance, and enabling them mutually to 
comfort and build up one another in their holy 
faith 0 Our sister Meyer, ri vetted, as it were, by 
the dearest associations and remembrances, to the 
little Church at Kumaka, could not as yet make 
up her mind to leave them ; and, being near her 
confinement, brother C — — A left her, and 
her little ones, under the care of her heavenly 
Father, in the sisterly charge of Catherine and 
the females there. 

Our brother C— — A — — , being now very 
desirous of establishing, if possible, a nearer and 
easier route of communication with the Demerara 
river, and for that purpose taking with him 
several Indian brethren in his bateau, entered a 
creek or arm of this river, called Wairooney, 
which flowed into the Berbice a little below 
Lana (Mr. S -'s place), and having pene- 
trated far, by paddling up most of the day, found 
its course so very circuitous, that they deemed it 
advisable to pursue the rest of the journey by 
land ; securing, therefore, the bateau, with its 
cargo, to the shore, and taking only those things 
they were able to carry, they walked on in a 
westerly direction, and reaching at night some 
deserted Indian houses, there they halted and 
slept. Going forward in|the morning, they had 
t o cross, by a fallen tree, the very creek they had 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 

abandoned the afternoon before. This day they 
unexpectedly fell in with a family of Arrawacks, 
unknown to the Kumaka Indians, but who, to 
their astonishment, declared that they believed 
on Jesus Christ, whom they designated as the 
Son of God, who came into the world to die for 
sinners, all men being sinners, but that God had 
loved the world, and given His only Son to die, 
that whosoever believed on Him might have 
eternal life ; " and we," said they, " believe on 
Jesus Christ as well as you" ! In answer to the 
interrogatory, "How came you by the know- 
ledge of that name ?" they said, u A white man 
came to us, and spoke of these things to us in 
our own language ; but stayed only two days, 
leaving us with the promise of soon visiting us 
again." Then understood they that it must have 
been the evangelist John Meyer who had come 
to them, and spoken these words unto them. 
These Indians, being then on a journey, I do not 
think they have been seen or heard of since ; but 
this instance will serve to show how far the Lord 
may have used our deceased brother as a witness 
for Jesus among these men of the wilderness. 
Two days more of heavy walking through a 
recently-burned forest brought them to the banks 
of the river Demerara, down which they procured 

a passage to P H , where the Indian 

h 2 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



brethren remained with us more than two weeks, 
and quite endeared themselves to the church 
there by their humble and holy deportment. 

After which time, our brother C A — — , 

and his crew of black brethren, returned with 
them. Retracing the burned forest, they found 
their bateau, with its contents, quite safe. In- 
deed, the Indians never disturb or purloin from 
each other's canoes, or huts, if they light upon 
them deserted ; a sort of mutual compact seems 
to be observed among them, and to be kept 
inviolate. Thus are they enabled to leave their 
few possessions as safely in the open wilderness 
as within the bars of a strong-hold e 

About this time, our sister Meyer, with those 
at Kumaka, were daily expecting the return of 

C A and his party ; and, from a scarcity 

of provisions, such as fish, or game, of any sort, 
were in much perplexity. The brethren were 
out every day, but without success in procuring 
more than barely satisfied themselves and families. 
So much did they feel this, that they had special 
prayer that the Lord would provide for their 
expected travellers. When the Indians were at 

P H , I had presented John, a faithful 

young Christian Indian (the man who shot 
the tiger, as mentioned by our sister Meyer, in a 
former chapter), with a new gun and ammuni- 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



tion ; thus had they two or three with them on 
their return. 

Soon after they had taken to their bateau, and 
were swiftly descending the Wairooney creek, 
the Indians observed the recent track of a tapir 
from the water side. Two of them instantly 

landed in pursuit ; while C A , in the 

bateau, with the others, floated gently onwards. 
They soon heard by their shouts the game was 
roused; and, watching, saw a large tapir take 
the water, under which he dived, to walk across 

the bottom of the creek. C A , having 

seized a loaded gun which lay near him in the 
bateau, marked the tapir as he raised his snout 
and head above water to gain the opposite bank, 
when aiming behind his shoulder as he was in 
the act of cleaving the stream, he shot the animal 
through the heart with a ball, to the delight of 
the Indians, who, securing and dissecting the 
carcase, managed to convey the whole of it to 
Kumaka, where they arrived, to the great joy of 
their expecting friends, that night. The meat 
thus obtained plentifully supplied them all, and 
caused the thanksgiving of many, who saw the 
Lord's hand in it ; who, though He seemed to 
withhold His aid from those who were so eagerly 
seeking it, gave it unsought to those very 
brethren for whose sakes they were desiring it. 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



Just as our brother, C— - — A—, was depart- 
ing from Lana, on his return to Demerara, he 
received the pleasing intelligence that, in the 
Lord's goodness, our sister Meyer had safely 
given birth to a little girl ; and, about a month 
after, she plainly saw it to be the path of duty to 
relinquish her Indian life, and, with her children, 
seek refreshment, and, if the Lord might grant 
it, repose, and better health, with her Christian 
brethren at Demerara. Her affections and feel- 
ings of deep interest in the welfare of the Indians 
were so strong, it was not without a hard strug- 
gle that she left Kumaka, believing it, on many 
accounts, to be her path of duty now. The 
Lord had taken from her head His servant, 
whose most faithful helpmate in the work she 
had proved herself in many trials, and her work 
there seemed over. Eighteen months after her 
removal, during which time the Indians visited 
her in Demerara several times, she followed the 
writer of these memoirs to England, where she 
still resides, with her children, putting her trust 
in God. 

It remains now merely to show that the work 
of God, by His servant Meyer, standeth firm in 
the wilderness, through Him on whom it is all 
built ; and that like the Eunuch, though their 
Philip is caught away from them, they can go on 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 

their way rejoicing. That they still hold the 
Head, from whom the whole body is nourished, 
may be seen from the following facts. There are 
life and power in them to resist evil, and walk 
together in the truth. They have of themselves 
put away from among them evil persons, and 
this with the hope and prayer for their repent- 
ance and recovery. Their first acts of discipline 
were upon Indians, but one was upon a Mulatto, 
an intelligent, well-educated man. Having a 
comfortable residence, and many neighbours, he 
had invited the Indians from Kumaka to come in 
a body and spend the first day of the week with 
him, for a testimony to those, his neighbours. 
They having consented to this, were on their 
way down to his place on Saturday evening, in 
their bateau, when they observed him passing 
on the river in a boat, with many people, noisy 
and intoxicated. Upon this they immediately 
returned, and reporting what they had seen to 
Mr. S — — , spent the first day, and broke bread 
together, at Lana. It is pleasing indeed to know 
that long since the person in question has been 
deeply humbled and penitent, and was then 
cheerfully received back into communion by his 
Indian brethren. Two of the sisters (Indians) 
had hired themselves out to work for a white 
man, and, according to the evil custom prevail- 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



ing, were persuaded to take part payment in 
rum, and had become intoxicated. As they 
worked and lived apart from the others on this 
occasion, the church could not have known of 
their evil, but their own consciences condemning 
them before the Lord, they confessed to their sin 
with deep contrition, before the whole church, 
refusing to sit at communion until restored by 
the sympathy and entreaties of their brethren, 
who showed them what they had learnt, that 
"if we confess our sins, God is faithful and 
just to forgive, and cleanse from all unright- 
eousness." Within the last year they have moved 
from Kumaka, as also several from Manaka with 
them, and planted new fields, and erected huts, 
on the banks of the Wairooney. They have had 
many trials since, of different kinds ; some have 
fallen away, and more than twelve have slept in 
Jesus since the Lord took His servant, John 
Meyer. But, perhaps, it will be most satisfac- 
tory here to insert the last letter received from 
our brother, C A- , who, in his perse- 
vering zeal and love to the Indians, has visited 
them many times since ; sometimes with much 
sorrow, but, as the reader will perceive by the 
following letter, at length with joy and hope. As 
this last visit was paid to them expressly in 
response to an invitation sent over by the Indian 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



Catherine, and Mr. S , I think it will be 

better first to insert copies of their letters. The 
bearers were two Indian brethren, who came by 
way of the river and sea, bringing letters from 
Mr. S- and Catherine. 

Copy of Catherine's Letter. 

" Dear Brother, 

" I send you these few lines by the hand 
of our brother John, hoping that, by the blessing 
of the Lord, they may find you all in good health. 
I had it in my mind to send or write to you 
before this, but after removing from Kumaka, 
and the weather favourable for planting provi- 
sions, we had no time to send any of the brothers 
away. If you can come at once with brother 
John, we shall all be so glad to see you in the 
Lord's name ; if you cannot come at present, 
pray write and say when you can be in Berbice 
town, and we will send a boat to wait upon you. 
I send four quakes of yams, one for yourself, one 

for brother T , one for brother J C , 

one for brother H C . I always feel anx- 
ious to hear from you with the love I hold for 
the Lord. No more to say, but remain 

"Your sister in Christ, 

" Catherine." 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



Copy of Mr. S— — 's Letter. 

" Dear Brother, 

" Sister Catherine, I understand, is sending 
John to you, and I cannot allow this opportunity 
to pass without writing you a few lines to say 
that, in the Lord's goodness, we are all healthy 
and well, with the hope that the Lord is thus 
blessing you, I had hoped we should have been 
blessed with a visit from you ere this, because 
when you left for Demerara it was with the 
intention of soon returning. I assure you I long 
for you, and always in my humble prayers ask, if 
it may please the Lord, to grant you to us. 
Sister Catherine asked me for my small punt, 
which I have lent her, but were I sure of your 
coming, I should have sent my corial, and if you 
can state the time, I will send it to meet you in 
town. We have, through the Lord's blessing, 
met in His name every first day of the week 
since your departure ; but with a sorrowful heart 
I say it, I do not feel that grace which I wish 
and hope, and pray to the blessed Lord for, in 
order to be empowered for speaking the words of 
the Holy Spirit, so as to produce on the hearers 
fruit for the Lord. Surely I need much grace 
from the Lord for this, but the Lord will give it 
in His time. From our Manaka brethren I have 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



heard that Mabaka's wife, Lenky, with her child, 
has gone to rest in the Lord. Brother John is 
married to sister Cecilia, and John, the elder, to 
Caroline (alias, to give the Indian names, Quipas 
to Kalma). Now receive my love in the Spirit, 
and greet the brethren in Demerara, from your 
brother in Christ, 

« j s ." 

On the receipt of these letters arose a difficulty, 
the expense needed for the journey. Brother 

C A 's means being quite low, he laid 

the letters before the Lord, and felt it good to 

see brother B at the Craig, who was glad at 

his coming, since he had just received aid from 
brother Geo. Miiller, and gave him ten dollars. 
Thus enabled for the journey, he soon set out on 
his visit, and, on his return from the Indians, 
penned the following cheering account, with 
which we will close this record. 

" My beloved Sister in the Lord, 

" I took down the enclosed letter for you 
from our sister Catherine in Arrawack, and 
afterwards translated it into English. Little 
comment is needed on this simple language of her 
heart ; it will speak volumes to you, who know 
its author, but it may be gratifying to you this 

i 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



further testimony, that she grows in grace, and 
I am persuaded also the others are growing 
spiritually, the Lord be praised. I spent a 
happy time among them. We were mutually 
refreshed, comforted, and strengthened, and I 
felt more liberty than on any previous occasion. 
I dwelt almost exclusively among them, and 
much enjoyed our every evening meeting. I 
felt great freedom in applying truth to their 
consciences, and earnestly exhorting them to 
give their hearts more unreservedly to the Lord. 
Two more families have come from Manaka to 
reside with them in their new place, viz., Bona- 
parte, his wife, and children, and Curtis and his 
family. Bonaparte desired baptism, but we all 
thought it better to test his sincerity awhile, by 
delaying to gratify his wish. Many strangers 
from the Indians came to hear in the evening. 
Part of Romans viii. being read and explained, 
some of them said, 'It is true, we live here a 
little only to groan away our lives ; there is 
nothing better for us than to believe God's word, 
and look for that good place where there is no 
groaning and dying.' The Lord grant they may 
turn to Him ! I have, in a former letter, repre- 
sented this little church of Indians as a field in 
the midst of the forest, cleared of its native 
growth, and planted with exotics, which, after 

LofC. 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



the planter has reaped his crop, is destined to be 
abandoned and lost again, and covered with its 
native weeds, as though it had never been. But 
this, my last visit, has given rise to the hope that 
the Lord might continue the cultivation, perhaps, 
up to the time of His Second Advent (as the 
time is short), and get a succession of crops, and 
open more fields. I need not say what my hope 
is grounded upon, when, in addition to that 
related above, I now state that John Bart, the 
son of Frederick, has been to the joy of all, but 
especially of Catherine, added to the number of 
believers, and received by us into communion, 
after much prayer and examination. Thomas, 
Catherine, Tobias, and Quipas, at my request, 
questioned him, as also myself ; and we all came 
to the conclusion that he ought to be received. 
When I suggested his waiting yet a little time 
before he was baptized, the youth told Catherine 
he should not object if we all thought it right; 
but he felt that by thus openly confessing to 
Christ at once, he should have more strength 
from Him to battle with the world, the flesh, and 
the devil, than if still neglecting the sign of what 
he firmly believed the Lord to have done for him. 
Accordingly, the last Saturday I was with them, 
we all went down to the creek side, and John 
Bart was baptized, to the joy of all. The fol- 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



lowing day lie broke bread with us at Lana, and 
it gave joy in the Lord among all the saints then 
assembled, Indians, w r hite, coloured, and black. 
We have good hopes of Bonaparte and others ; 
and also that other Indians will come from the 
savannahs, and cast in their lot among them. 
Indeed, I repeat it, my last visit, although we 
did not go up to Manaka, has quite revived my 
spirit as to these dear souls. 

" Some of my leisure hours spent among them 
were devoted to the rendering of Arrawack 
hymns into English, partly for my own profit 
as to communion with them in singing, and 
partly that I might be able to apply the truths 
they contain to their consciences. I am now 
making a fair copy of dear brother Meyer's 
dictionary and grammar. I have spoken to 

J B about going up to Matara (their 

new settlement), knowing that his presence and 
ministry would be acceptable to them ; but in 
doing it I avoided giving him an arm of flesh to 
lean upon. He might teach them English ; and 
being, as I believe, a happy Christian, might lead 
them on, and assist them much in building them 
up in our most holy faith. We shall be able to 

locate him on brother S 's land, which lies 

near Matara. This latter brother's trials and 
temptations in his calling still continue, and are 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



great hindrances to him. The last Sunday I 
spent there he appeared much humbled and 
happy ; he spoke from Scripture in Creole Dutch, 
and prayed in English. I purpose, if spared, to 
sketch out a map of the river, and mark the 
places I am acquainted with. I conclude, in 
much Christian love, 

" Your unworthv brother, C A . 

Copy of Catherine's Letter, in 
Arrawack. 

"Danshishia wabo dahukito Adaiahoeli oloko, 
"Hehei kidohani ephirito Koushishi 
Adaiahoeli. Mainbunato Kanshihi Adaiahoeli. 
daluwamuni dai akonshiha Adaiahoeli. Dai 
akonshiha abassabu. Tomaqua Lishikin dai 
akuiabu ikidoadabu oloko fa rocha maibonoato. 
Kidohani dahukito dai ikoro kai ikashiabu. 
Adaiahoeli aburuatiniu wauhutshiki fa aiuruka- 
hoe Lanshihi oloko. Dai auhubada Adaiahoeli 
obora kassakabu kassakoda halikebe daloa. Dai 
ulushi Adaiahoeli oloko kiadoma dai ikoro adicha 
toho holoro. Ephirito kanshihirino. Usuru- 
tahoe nam a qua muni, Namaqua atshilikitshii 
aiurudato no ephirito kanshihi namaqua kanshihi 
Adaiahoeli. Kidohan dahukito dai adinama ba- 
hukito Adaiahoeli oloko. 

" Kargie. 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 

"P.S. Ababadia, wai ashiga Adaiahoeli umuni 
na aba, watshilikitshi Adaiahoeli ashiga hoeshia 
wamuni Yan Bart oloko. Loei kalida kali 
wama abali koro Sunday." 

In plain English : — - 

" My much beloved Sister in the Lord, 

" Oh, yes, truly, the Lord's love is great. 
The Lord has not ceased to love ; to my heart I 
love the Lord, but I want more love yet. He 
will give me everything I ask belie vingly and 
unceasingly. Truly, my sister, I do not forget 
you. The Lord hath forgiven us ; we shall 
obtain salvation in His love. I wait before the 
Lord, day and night, with a happy heart. I am 
full in the Lord, because I look not to the world. 
Great love to the children, and a kiss to each of 
them. To all brothers and sisters in the Lord 
great love, even to all who love the Lord. 
Truly my sister, I stand your sister in the Lord. 

" Catherine. 

"P.S. One word ; we give the Lord thanks : 
one of our brothers in the flesh God hath given 
us in Christ, John Bart. He broke bread with 
us last Sunday." 

Now, beloved brethren in Christ, what shall 
we say to these things — these simple facts ? 



IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



Shall we not say, "What hath God wrought !" 
We have not written for the glory of man. The 
weaker the agency to produce such results, the 
more manifest the power and wisdom of Him 
who wielded it, and made it so mighty to pull 
down the strongholds of Satan, and bring so 
many depraved hearts to the captivity of Christ ! 
Mighty through God ! 

Let us admire, first, the power put forth upon 
the agent 3 to constitute him, naturally evil, 
naturally walking according to the course of this 
world, and the power of darkness, a fellow -worker 
with God in delivering others from sin and death ! 
That he should forsake all to follow Christ ! 
Count it such blessing to wear out his life in 
leading poor heathens to the Lamb of God ! To 
labour in a field unnoticed and almost unknown ! 
just trusting on Him whose word of life he held 
forth to the Indians, and who he knew would 
not forsake His own ! 

We have traced him through his brief days of 
labour in the wilderness, his journeyings, his 
fastings, his watchings, his conflicts, till he left 
his earthly tabernacle in an Indian hut, where 
they buried it. Hallelujah ! and now what are 
the results of all this labour ? Nearly fifty souls 
from another tribe of the earth's families, where 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER 



His name was never known before, gathered, 
with many others, into the Church of the First- 
born ! Many of their spirits gone to Him, 
while others are left to bear fruit, and give God 
salt from the forests of Guiana ! 

Before the white man penetrated their savan- 
nahs, the great name of Jesus was unknown 
there. The only great one among these poor 
sinners was Abaddon, the destroyer, whom they 
propitiated and feared. By what weapons has 
this handful been delivered from the darkness 
and control of the evil one ? By the word of 
God ! " Of His own will hath God begotten 
them again by the word of truth"! The same 
weapon hath worked mightily without reference 
to age or colour, intellect or education, bringing 
them to the same mind, the same blessed hope. 

Reader, before John Meyer appeared in these 
parts all was darkness, all evil, at that river 
head. The sound of the axe, the hunter's cry, 
the boatman's song, the drunken revel, the voice 
of him that shouted for the mastery, or the cry 
of the sufferer, might mingle in the forest echoes, 
and, borne upon the breeze, alternately break the 
silence almost reigning there ; but never was 
there heard the voice of prayer, or hymn of 
praise uttered in the name of Jesus, as now, 



IN BRITISH GUIANA 



since the tongue of him, whose body sleeps so 
silently beneath the sandy floor of the Indian 
hut, proclaimed, in Arrawack and English, 
"Redemption by the blood of Jesus, Salvation 
in His name !" Now, dear reader, should the 
careless traveller be floating on that mighty river, 
so far from the ocean, on the first day of the 
week, the hymn of adoration and praise for 
redeeming love might rouse him from his dreams 
of sorrow or pleasure, and tell him, as he entered 
the humble room that held the worshippers, and 
cast his eye over the motley group assembled 
there (the educated German, the African savage, 
the wild American Indian, the once licentious 
Creole of Guiana, mingled in a common worship, 
saved with a common salvation, washed and 
sanctified by one blood), that truly God is no 
respector of persons ; that to Jesus all the pro- 
phets truly witness, " Whosoever believeth on 
Him shall receive the remission of sins;" that 
" the word of God is not bound but that God 
does still by the foolishness of preaching, in any 
language, save them who believe. 

Think, then, and pray for the little flock thus 
rescued from perdition in this wilderness, and 
pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send forth 
labourers to this yet unreaped field ; for God 

K 



LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER, ETC. 



has opened the door of faith to these Indians, 
granted to many repentance unto life ; and now 
invites His children to care for his sheep who 
dwell in the forests of Guiana, by his servant 
John Meyer. 



BATH ; PRINTED BY BINNS AND GOODWIN. 



OLD NAEQUOIS, THE NEGKO DBIYEE. 



We know, from the word of God, that His 
eternal purpose, in the fulness of times, to gather 
together in one all things in Christ, shall be 
fulfilled, and that then all whom His grace and 
power have been gathering up in Christ, through 
the successive ages of the world, shall be brought 
forth to His praise and glory, by whose incarna- 
tion, death, and resurrection, that which was lost 
is found, that which sin had destroyed, is brought 
up into life and immortality. 

We know, also, there is no new thing under 
the sun ; that which hath been shall happen 
again : the principles that have moved the actions 
of men, under various circumstances, are the 

a 3 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



same ; there is no real improvement in fallen 
nature : " the lust of the eye, the lust of the 
flesh, and the pride of life, " are still, as ever, the 
springs of human action, human sorrow, and 
human degradation. It is, however, always most 
interesting and instructive to the Christian's soul 
to mark, when contemplating the history of by- 
gone ages, as set forth in the Scriptures of truth, 
the steady onward working of the glorious God, 
in His purposes of love, in the midst of all the 
activity of human passions ; making even the 
sins of men, and malice of devils, subservient to 
the glories of His grace. 

Indeed, it is only in the fullest understanding 
and conviction of this, that the Christian can 
walk intelligently and happily through the pre- 
sent scene, " a fellow-worker with God" ! 

The Scriptures testify fully that there is no 
range of human ambition, power, or tyranny, 
no sphere of cruel and oppressive cupidity, in the 
heart of which God cannot, does not, often work 
out His gracious plans., and turn it to the account 
of the glory of His grace. 

Yea, there is no platform of human action too 
vile or debasing for God to make the very occa- 
sion of displaying His wisdom, long-suffering, or 
saving power ; and the wonder is, to mark, as 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



God permits the tide of our evil nature to flow 
on, as men are carrying out the base desires of 
their own hearts, how He can mingle His ends 
and purposes with their actions, and make 
them the unconscious agents of His all-gracious 
will. Thus God is acting still, and the rapid 
changes, so marking the present moral and 
political atmosphere, are all working on to 
the certain fulfilment of that which He hath 
determined to be done ! 

Such thoughts as these, with a simple desire 
to set forth the goodness and power of God, 
have induced the writer to publish the following 
narrative of facts, which took place under his 
own observation during a residence of many years 
in the West Indies. 

There is, perhaps, nothing in modern history 
more illustrative of the above than the occasion 
God has taken, from the transportation of eight 
hundred thousand Africans to the islands and 
settlements of the West, to have preached to 
them that blessed Gospel, which they never would 
have heard in their own country, and by which 
not only thousands have become children of God 
through faith, but many have already returned to 
their own, or forefathers' native land, publishing 
the Gospel of peace. 



OLD NARQUOIS, 

I I 

Thus ivhere the cruelty and covetousness of 
man transported them, there the grace of God 
has met them. 

Among many special actings of His grace, I 
may select the following, showing how widely and 
powerfully God has often worked ; and, no doubt, 
is now working, toward the salvation of souls, 
in a manner, and by agents unknown to, and 
unconnected with, the public labours of Chris- 
tians. 

The Lord had so far blessed the efforts of 
Christians and philanthropists, that (the name 
of slave modified to apprentice, and the time of 
daily labour abridged), the certain prospect of 
entire emancipation in a few years was placed 
before the Negro, — when myself, and a beloved 
fellow-labourer in the Gospel, were seeking, by 
access to the blacks in each plantation, to reach 
the ears and hearts of the aged and infirm, who 
had hitherto been totally shut out from hearing 
the joyful sound. 

Out of sixteen large plantations in the 
district, only one, at this time, presented an 
impenetrable barrier to our entrance, through 
the determined opposition of the manager, 
whose implacable and tyrannical nature seemed 
to burn seven times hotter from the knowledge 
that the restraint of law w T as now thrown over 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



his violent disposition, and the prospect was held 
out to the victims of his cruelty of entire deliver- 
ance from his thrall. 

So successfully clever and wily was he in 
eluding the grasp of law, that, though continually 
inflicting illegal, and, of course, cruel punish- 
ments, the sufferers dared not complain to the 
authorities, dreading the vengeance of his arm. 
Often would he compel the women to complete 
their daily task of weeding and moulding canes, 
(say one hundred rows of a rood in length), with 
their hands, having previously deprived them of 
their hoes and cutlasses ; and I knew of a man 
and his wife suffering solitary confinement for 
three years, without any means of redress, or the 
power of making their condition known. It was, 
therefore, his determined policy to keep such as 
ourselves at a distance from these people ; and 
I shall not easily forget the tone of defiance with 
which he refused the last request my brother and 
self made to him for admittance to teach the 
infirm and aged persons on the estate. Hopeless 
as to removing him from his purpose by any 
entreaties of ours, we agreed to lay this case of 
the poor before Him, who would hear and who 
could help ; and made an arrangement to meet 
together once every day, and beseech the Lord 
for admission to those people, until He granted 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



It ; remembering the promise that if any two 
agreed together to ask anything in Christ's name, 
it should be done for them. Nor did the Lord 
leave us long to wait, long to cry unto Him. 

It was, I think, on the third morning after we 
commenced our prayer to God, that a woman, 
no longer able to endure his cruelty, laid her case 
before the magistrate, who, summoning the cruel 
man to his bar, and, fully convicting, imposed 
upon him a heavy fine, with a public rebuke. A 
few hours after, the manager's friend waited on 
the magistrate demanding satisfaction in a duel ; 
which written challenge being carried at once to 
the governor, his Excellency sent the following 
peremptory notice to the representatives of the 
property, " That if the manager in question was in 
charge of that estate at eight o'clock on the follow- 
ing morning, he would proclaim it outlawed, with- 
draw from it all government protection, and give 
it up to the will and power of the Negroes." I 
need not say, that by eight o'clock that night the 
cruel manager was discharged; and, in a few days, 
the man who succeeded him, being of a more 
humane disposition, by the instructions of his 
employer, not only admitted us to the plantation, 
but in every way encouraged our frequent visits 
to the hospital, and residences of the blacks. On 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



our second visit after this change, the manager 
invited us to see an aged man, who he feared 
would never recover, and in whom he said all the 
people appeared much interested : and we followed 
him to the sick man's cottage. 

The Negro-yard, as it was called, consisted of 
three long ranges or rows of building, framed of 
the hard wood of the country, with projecting 
roofs, and thatched with the leaf of the troolie 
palm, numbers of which tree grow in the swamps 
that abound on the river's bank. It was capable 
of holding more than three hundred persons ; and 
to the remotest end of one of these ranges did the 
manager himself conduct us, amid the happy 
greetings of those who had returned from work, 
and who manifested, by the joy of their coun- 
tenances, and their ejaculations of u How oVye, 
massa ? " " God bless you, massa 99 " Come for 
teach we poor neger, massa?' 9 * 6 Hi! see wha 
God do for a 9 wee aready," how much they 
appreciated the change of management, and 
rejoiced in beholding their very taskmaster 
cheerfully conducting to the sick-bed of their 
fellow-sufferer those who, though humble, were 
yet true messengers of the Gospel of peace ! 

On entering a lowly chamber, remarkable for 
its cleanliness, on a small bed a feeble old man 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



was laid, whose woolly hair, white as the purest 
snow, contrasted with his dark thin features, as 
much as his poor suffering body and manifest 
lack of comforts did with his peaceful smile and 
voice of praise and thankfulness. I need hardly 
say how much we were delighted and surprised 
to find in this aged black an enlightened brother 
in Christ. One who felt no sting in death, no 
hardship in suffering, because his heart had but 
one string to harp on ; one feeling that swallowed 
up all others. He was a pardoned sinner — a 
child of God ! and the grace of God had gone 
down so deep ! gone down below his fathomless 
guilt and wickedness, to fetch him up so high ; 
to blessings so great ; hopes so glorious ! God 
had saved him by the blood of Jesus ! 

It must be premised here, that no missionary, 
or known teacher, had ever visited this part of 
the country ; and that hitherto I had apparently 
been working on no man's foundation. This 
dear man had never been able to come where 
either my brother or self was bearing testimony ; 
and we were now opening, as it were, a sealed up 
place, on which we thought the light of the 
Gospel had never shone. How, then, were we 
amazed, as well as rejoiced, to find a soul lit up 
with the beams of the Saviour's love ; an expe- 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



rienced pilgrim, strong in faith, giving glory to 
God, and saying in principle, " I have fought 
the fight, I have kept the faith. Henceforth 
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." 
Yet so it was. How it was, remained for us to 
hear from the lips of the pilgrim himself, who, in 
answer to our request, in deep humility, and a 
clear, though feeble voice, declared plainly how 
he had heard, and how believed ! Reader, sit 
down with us, and listen to the old man's tale. 

It was, indeed, with the deepest interest that 
my dear brother (long since departed to be with 
Christ), my self, and the manager, sat listening 
to the narrator, as, in his own broken English 
dialect, mingled with praise and thanksgiving, 
and humiliating remarks on his own evil nature, 
but no harsh one on the conduct of his persecu- 
tors, he gave forth in substance that which 
follows. 

Many years had rolled past since he, with 
others, had been transported by the agents of their 
proprietors, from a slave ship, just arrived in 
the port, to a plantation full thirty miles further 
up the river than that on which they were at 
present located. And well might we say of the 
slave colonies of those days, a horror of darkness 
brooded over them, without one ray of light to 

B 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



illumine the gloomy picture. The slaves had, 
indeed, been removed from one portion of the 
earth, where Satan holds the human race in the 
darkest bondage of superstitious fear, and awe of 
his evil power, to dwell in another place, where, 
under the false name of Christianity, he still held 
sway, with scarcely less dark, though perhaps more 
felt and perceptible, bondage, as existing over 
those nominally allied to Him, who came a light to 
lighten the darkness, and as the destroyer of Satan's 
power. Alas ! for these poor victims of human cupi- 
dity; they heard that their masters were Christians ; 
but the only advantage manifested in that name 
was, I fear, with few exceptions, their superior 
power to do evil ; while the only development of 
religious faith was to be found in the revelry and 
excesses of the Christmas and Easter holidays, 
called by the slaves " Big and Little Christmas 
at which times there was a general relaxation 
of discipline, an interchange of gifts, and mutual 
sympathy in the carnal joys of revelry between 
master and slave ; with a recognition of each 
other as fellow-creatures of the same original 
stock, and, alas ! equally merged in the moral 
ruin of the Fall. I may here add, it was always 
customary to allow and even encourage among 
the blacks, when work was over, the celebration 



THE NEGRO DRIVER, 



of their African dances , the frequency of which, 
at nights, constituted their only amusement and 
relaxation from their hopeless bondage, and, to 
them, the fruitless toil of their lives : so that I 
have heard a Negro set forth the history of their 
days in the following laconic, yet comprehensive, 
sentence, "It was nothing else but workee, 
workee ; floggee, floggee ; dancee, dancee." 

The narrator of this tale was then a young 
man in his strength, and one who, by his address 
and cunning, as well as readiness and ability to 
carry out the views of his employers, was raised 
to the office of head Negro-driver to the gang. An 
odious employment this, in which lay the widest 
scope for the exercise of every malignant and 
licentious passion existent in man, the tempta- 
tions to which were great by the unlimited power 
given them, on the condition of extracting from 
the slaves the greatest proportion of work. 

Narquois, by his own account, profited more 
than many of his equals in this sad office. None 
dared resist his will ; all were ready to court 
his favour ; and he became, like all others in his 
situation, notorious for his licentious excesses, 
hardness of heart, and tyrannical cruelty. The 
whole gang were thus walking in wickedness, 
and he the vilest of all. But that gracious God, 

b 2 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



who, from His mercy-seat, is still looking down 
with long-suffering grace on the sinful children 
of men, as He marked the cruel transportation of 
these poor blacks across the ocean to feed the 
avarice of their more powerful and intelligent 
fellow-creatures, had also marked out his vessels 
of mercy, whom He would in Christ call to His 
glory. 

Time rolled on, bringing with its course of 
human events a change big with promise to the 
slaves in this province of the West — the capture 
of the colony, by the fleet and arms of England, 
the result of which was, in the course of a few 
years, the slow but certain introduction of Gospel 
light to the country. Though much resisted at 
first, yet did it most surely penetrate and en- 
lighten many souls where it was first proclaimed ; 
and, slowly spreading itself along the coasts, 
found its lodging and its course of progress, in 
the hearts of the poor slaves. 

But alas ! how were the three hundred souls 
on this plantation, so far removed from the port 
and coasts, to hear the joyful sound ? We may 
imagine the jealousy with which the progress of 
the Gospel was watched, and so it was with these 
people. All intercourse with the town, and other 
places, was cut off from their location, except by 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



water, and that was rigidly restricted to the 
punts, or river barges, used in the transportation 
of stores and sugar from and to the shipping off 
the town. All sides of this plantation were 
bounded by deep dark forests and swamps ; and 
the only way we could conceive by which the 
Gospel message could reach these banished ones 
would have been by the slaves employed in this 
river navigation. But these had no idle time in 
town ; discharging their sugars, reloading with 
stores, working under the eyes of the estates' 
agents, they were quickly despatched back to 
their river location as ignorant as they had left it. 
How, then, did the Lord work to accomplish 
His purpose of love ? 

It happened that the government — I mean the 
government of England — were about to extend 
and repair their works connected with the fort 
and military barracks. They possessed many 
slaves, chiefly mechanics, carpenters, and timber 
squarers, some of whom were located on govern- 
ment forest lands, but the greater part in town. 
In order, therefore, to carry out the building 
designs of government, a gang of carpenters and 
wood-cutters were sent up the river to hew and 
square timber. 

It happened that the place selected for this 

b 3 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



was some government land, nearly opposite that 
isolated estate ; and thither were these govern- 
ment slaves carried, and housed, for a time, in 
temporary huts. 

Now it also happened that among these men 
was a carpenter, named Jack, who had heard and 
believed the Gospel when in town. He could 
not read, but had learned many portions of the 
Bible ; had profited not a little in the exercise 
of godliness ; and,* through prayer and close 
attendance on the word, had grown in grace, and 
in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. The order to 
remove so far from the sound of the Gospel, and 
the communion he was enabled occasionally to 
have with other Christians and the Missionary, 
was a melancholy one to him ; and it was with 
a heavy heart he embarked with his fellows on 
this, to him, temporary banishment. 

He had not, however, been long at his new 
abode before he became acquainted with the 
slaves of this lonely sugar estate. Sometimes 
accompanying the overseer on a visit there to 
purchase sugar and provisions, and sometimes 
visiting them at night by means of his own 
canoe ; and when Jack perceived the ignorance 
and sin in which they were all lying, how totally 
they were deprived hitherto of the blessing that 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



had reached so many already, and himself in 
particular, his heart burned within him to help 
them also to the Gospel of the grace of God. 
But the danger of such an attempt was great. 
Nothing could cause greater alarm, or more cer- 
tainly bring down vengeance on its perpetrator, 
than collecting a congregation for preaching the 
Gospel, or setting up as a teacher, at such a 
time as that. Yet the fear of man could not 
overcome in this Christian slave the love he had 
for his fellow- sinners, and his burning desire 
of lifting up among them the Saviour's name, 
that believing they might live. Obliged to use 
the greatest secresy, he at length succeeded in 
obtaining leave from some families to come over 
in the dead of night, and instruct them in the 
truth of redemption by J esus Christ. Although 
the utmost caution was used to keep the matter 
secret, the number of those who desired to hear 
increased so fast that it could not be hid ; and 
very soon the spies of Narquois, who was always 
keeping an argus eye over them all, especially 
to prevent secret and nightly meetings, gave 
him intelligence concerning the visits of Jack. 
Determined, however, to have ocular demonstra- 
tion, and arrest Jack in the very act, he appeared 
to take little or no notice of the information, 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



secretly purposing, by stealing softly to the place 
of meeting, from some stealthy corner to become 
a witness of all that was said or done. 

It was at the dead of night, when the hum of 
voices in the Negro-yard had ceased, their foofoo 
supper ended, " ebery nancy tory done," that you 
might have seen dark forms steal forth quietly 
from different houses in the range, and direct 
their silent way to where in one Negro hut might 
still be seen the glimmering light of a small oil 
lamp. Scarcely had the last form disappeared 
within, when the listener might have heard a 
slight plash now and again in the smooth surface 
of the river, with a rippling sound of a canoe 
making its almost noiseless way through the 
waters ; then the rustling of leaves and branches 
as it forced through them to the shore ; then 
a tall form might be seen rising from the 
stream, and, walking swiftly, glide within the 
hut, where many a heart was waiting to hear 
some more of the wondrous love of God, of 
human guilt, the Saviour's sufferings, and the 
sinner's pardon. 

There, in a dark recess, commanding a window 
of the hut, sat the wily Narquois, watching, as a 
tiger, his unsuspecting prey. And what did he 
see and hear ? 



TH£ NEGRO DRIVER. 



He saw Jack seated in the midst of a listening 
group, reasoning, in his own simple words, on 
"righteousness, temperance, and judgment to 
come." He heard of God's goodness and power 
in the creation of all things ; of man's creation in 
the image of God himself ; of Eve ; of Eden's 
happy garden, when all was good : sorrow, pain, 
and death unknown. He heard of the warning 
and command concerning the tree of knowledge ; 
of Satan's subtlety in deceiving Eve ; of Adam's 
disobedience, by whom " sin entered into the 
world, and death by sin, so that death passed 
upon all men, since in Adam all had sinned." 
He heard Jack declare that all flesh lay in 
enmity to God, the whole world in darkness. 
Jack spake of the evil, the selfishness, cruelty, 
and deceit, so marked among them all. He told 
them of the filthiness of their own conversation 
and ways. Then he told them of God, who was 
good : God, who was love : and of the promise 
God gave as He cursed Satan for the evil he had 
brought on man ; that " the seed of the woman 
should bruise the serpent's head." " This," 
J ack declared, " God has fulfilled in the Virgin 
Mary's Son. God sent forth His Son, made of 
a woman, to redeem and bring back sinners to 
himself. He, who was God, was made flesh, 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



came in fashion as a man, and dwelt down here. 
He, found in condition as a man, fulfilled the 
will of God, worked righteousness, and became 
a sweet savour unto God on our behalf by per- 
fecting obedience on the cross ; where, being 
nailed, he bore our sins in his own body, was 
wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our 
iniquities, and by dying there made a full and 
perfect atonement for all sin. He was buried," 
continued Jack, " but the third day God raised 
Him from the dead, and gave Him glory ; and 
now, at God's right hand, He has become the 
eternal salvation of every poor sinner who ever 
with a true heart believed on Him. God," said 
Jack, "has commanded the good tidings of a 
free pardon, and the gift of life, to be preached 
to all sinners in the name and through the blood 
of Jesus Christ. But," said he, "God will judge 
the world in righteousness by that Man whom 
He has raised from the dead, who will come back 
to be glorified in His saints, and admired in them 
that believe, when He will take vengeance on all 
those who obey not the Gospel. Now," said 
Jack, "if you remain and die in your sins, you 
will all have to meet judgment and eternal 
punishment from God one day ; but if you feel 
them heavy now, if you would tremble now, 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



should God, the great God, begin to judge you, 
come at once with all your hearts to Jesus. Con- 
fess your sins to Him who is now in heaven, but 
who once as a man bore the judgment of sin upon 
the cross when He died, and all shall be forgiven. 
Yes, forgiven ! Believe now on Him who died 
upon the cross, and you shall receive pardon and 
a new heart. Yes, Jesus will become your life, 
will give you His own heart, His own mind. You 
shall be able in Jesus to love God and hate your 
sin, which God will remember no more. Do not, 
therefore, go on in your sins any longer ; look to 
Jesus, and wash away your sin, calling on the 
name of the Lord ; for the blood of Jesus Christ 
cleanseth from all sin ; and God so loved the 
world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life." 

Thus spake the black evangelist to his fellows, 
and God gave the increase ; for many trembled 
and fell down confessing their sins, and many 
believed to the saving of their souls ; and many 
there were from full hearts uttering in broken 
sobs, " Tankee, Massa Jesus, tarikee Massa Jesus, 
for taking 'punish for me, poor sinner ; for bleed 
and die for me. Oh I makee dis heart clean, 
Massa Jesus, so may I lib to dee." 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



end and crucifixion of his own flesh. His " old 
man was crucified with Christ, that the body of 
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth he might 
not serve sin." He had died with Christ, he 
must live with Christ, and w 7 alk in newness of 
life by faith in the work of God, who raised up 
Christ from the dead. The more Narquois real- 
ized the place of blessing into which the blood 
and cross of Christ had brought him, the more 
he felt the fellowship of the Spirit, the bowels 
and mercies of Christ, and felt it quite impossi- 
ble to exercise any longer before God or man the 
office he held on that plantation. 

Called up with the morning light to rouse the 
labourers with the sound of his dreadful whip ; 
to drive them out to their work ; then to lead out 
those who were marked for punishment the even- 
ing before for some neglect of duty, or not finish- 
ing their daily tasks, and seeing them forcibly 
stretched out upon the ground by their w r rists 
and ancles, with their faces earthwards ; to stand 
over them with the cruel whip, and as with every 
lash the mangled wretch in his agony filled the 
forest with his cries, Narquois, with unrelenting 
nerve and arm, must still complete the cruel four 
and twenty, if not more, stripes. This, his morn- 
ing work ; then, as the evening came, Narquois' 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



stern duty* was rigidly to report those who, 
through weakness or neglect, had left unfinished 
their appointed task. If men, he marked them 
for the morning's lash ; if women, committed 
them, without food or rest, to the hand and foot 
stocks for the night. 

Could he who had found mercy thus exercise 
cruelty ? No. He could for his master toil ; he 
could suffer, work till he was weary, but he could 
not sin for his master, or have fellowship with 
these works of darkness any more. He knew 
what wrath his refusal to remain in office might 
bring upon him, yet he would trust in God, he 
would be faithful. 

He was so ; he told the manager he desired to 
be put in the field as a labourer, and begged him 
to place another trusty man in his room. The 
manager, astonished at such a request, knowing 
how they ail loved power, could not believe him 
to be in earnest ; but when he heard his reasons, 
which were candidly given, "his conscience would 
not allow him ; he believed in Jesus Christ ; he 
was a Christian ; he could not flog or hurt his 
fellow-men," all the natural enmity of the heart 
against God was stirred up in the manager's 
breast, mingled with a sense of the reflection 
Narquois' conscience cast upon his own conduct, 

c 2 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



" He was a Christian ; he could not therefore 
flog and hurt his fellow-men ! " TJie sudden 
discovery that the Gospel had, by some unknown 
agent, reached the Negroes on the plantation, 
determined the manager, by every means in his 
power, to crush it at once, and make Narquois the 
victim ; but God made him a martyr or witness 
to the power of His grace. He first by threats 
endeavoured to terrify him to submission, and 
make him continue in office, but in vain. Nar- 
quois would work in the field, would toil, would 
drudge, but he would flog no more, torture no 
more. Then did the white man soon put another 
in his office ; and Narquois (who, by this time 
having manifested before all his change of heart, 
openly confessed his faith in Christ, and turned 
from his iniquitous ways, was beloved by most 
of the gang,) was led out before them all for 
punishment. 

Stretched out with his face on the ground, his 
arms and legs drawn tight to stakes driven into 
the earth, lay this believer in Jesus, lifting up his 
heart to God ; and as he felt himself lying in the 
very plight and place where he had so often bound 
his fellow-sinners, he bowed his heart to the stroke, 
humbled at the thought, yet felt he had a comfort 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 

his former victims had not. They might have 
suffered from their own contumacy, and certainly 
from man's cupidity or passion only, while he 
suffered for the faith of Jesus. Now did the ma- 
nager, by menaces and promises, endeavour to 
elicit from him and others the secret of the Gos- 
pel's mysterious entrance among them, but in 
vain. Though many besides Narquois had become 
faithful and changed persons, and many more were 
acquainted with the nightly preachings of Jack, 
yet none were found to betray the secret. 

At length, the manager, having threatened 
all with like punishment who dared hold preach- 
ing meetings, or resist his will, proceeded in his 
cruel punishment of Narquois with the cart whip. 
He suffered without a murmur, for God was the 
strength of his heart, but he would not resume 
his office. As soon as his wounds allowed him 
to move, Narquois was led out every morning 
and chained to a stake in the field, where the 
gang were working, till the evening. When his 
flesh was healed he was again lashed as before, 
and still every day was passed chained in the 
field with the working gang. Then the cruel 
flogging again, then chained as before till he was 
healed, and so on for many, many times. At 

c 3 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



length God answered his prayers and those of 
the other Christians, who witnessed his terrible 
sufferings and unflinching faith. 

The manager, finding his resolution fixed and 
insurmountable — the torture fruitless ; marking 
his meek and quiet spirit ; perceiving also the 
reformed orderly characters of those Negroes 
who, like Narquois, had received the Gospel, his 
heart relented ; he released the prisoner : but his 
constitution was entirely broken by suffering, and 
the manager, ashamed somewhat of his harsh 
conduct, appointed him as gardener to his pro- 
vision ground, with only light work. By this 
time, the government work being finished, Jack 
had returned to town. Narquois, much respected 
by all, used to meet with the believers on Sun- 
days and week evenings. They could not read, 
but they could pray, and tell one another of the 
love of God, and stir up one another's hope, 
keeping themselves in the grace of Jesus, and 
praying in the Holy Ghost. 

Some time after, the proprietors purchasing 
land some thirty miles nearer the town, the w r hole 
gang were removed to cultivate the estate where 
we now visited him. As soon as these Christians 
could manage to visit the town, they all applied 
to a Missionary, and were baptized ; for though 



THE NEGRO DRIVER. 



Jack had faithfully fulfilled the work of an evan- 
gelist, which was by the Holy Ghost's power, he 
knew not that, as Philip did, so might he also, 
have baptized those who with all their hearts 
believed on Jesus Christ. Since that time Jack 
had only once visited them, being then detained 
a whole night by the tide, on another journey 
up the river for timber ; and happy indeed were 
they all once more to welcome him among them, 
and once more at a night meeting to hear him 
speak of the love of God, and precious blood of 
Jesus, and join their prayers and praises to his. 

Jack had long been called to rest when the old 
man told this Gospel tale, as also many who had 
been saved through his preaching ; "But," said 
the old man, as he concluded his most interesting 
narrative, " God has kept me to dis day in Tie oivn 
hand, and by He own grace, to talk of He love^ 
and praise He holy name" 

It may well be imagined how pleasingly 
astonished we were at hearing this story. The 
manager himself was much affected by it. We 
had thus unexpectedly, as it were, stumbled upon 
a little nest of God's children, who had hitherto 
been sealed up from our knowledge, and whom we 
gladly received into Christian fellowship Nar- 
quois recovered, and survived a few years ? 



OLD NARQUOIS, 



adorning the doctrine of our God and Saviour, 
till he fell asleep in Jesus, looking for a glorious 
resurrection. Some aged persons, who were 
brought with him to the knowledge of Christ 
by the preaching of Jack, survive to this day ; 
but the reader may be glad to know that very 
many on this plantation were afterwards con- 
verted, and though now removed to other places, 
are walking in the faith and hope of the Gospel. 

Reader, many startling changes have taken 
place upon the earth since I sat and listened to 
the old Christian, Narquois. Many blessings 
and many troubles have passed over the West 
Indies ; many souls have been added to the Lord, 
with much increase of sin and blasphemy since 
then ; many changes too have passed over my 
own lot ; many bitter cups have I had to taste, 
and many blessings have been shed over my path 
by the hand of God since then ; but never have 
I been able to forget the joy I felt when listening 
to the tale of the old black man. 

How is displayed the hand of God in all this ! 
How manifest the power of the simple word ! 
How beautifully illustrated the truth, "It pleased 
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them 
that belie ve." " The weakness of God is stronger 
than men ; the foolishness of God is wiser than 



THE NEGRO DRIVER 



mem Base things of the world, and things which 
are despised, yea, things that are not, hath God 
chosen to bring to nought things that are ; that 
no flesh should glory in His presence," Oh ! 
reader, are you "born again by the Word of God, 
which liveth and abicleth for ever ? 99 If so, " as 
a new born babe, desire the sincere milk of the 
word, that you may grow thereby. ' But if you 
have not yet tasted that the Lord is gracious, 
""believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
shalt be saved." 

Let us also thank God that such things as old 
Narquois inflicted and suffered in his youth are 
almost forgotten in the British West Indies now ; 
that in those parts white and black can walk 
together under the protection of the same laws, 
without any jealousies, in friendship and peace ; 
while, in numerous instances, they are bound 
together in true Christian brotherhood as heirs 
together of the grace of life. Let us give God 
the glory. Amem 



HYMN. 



See mercy, mercy, from on high, 
Descend to rebels doomed to die ; 
'Tis mercy free, which knows no bound ; 
How sweet, how blessed is the sound ! 

Soon as the reign of sin began, 
The light of mercy dawned on man. 
When God announced the early news, 
" The woman's seed thy head shall bruise." 

Brightly it beamed on men forlorn 
When Christ, the holy child was born ; 
And brighter still in splendour shone, 
When Jesus, dying, cried, " 'Tis done ! " 

The work complete when He arose, 
Bursting the snares of all His foes, 
When captive led captivity, 
And took for us His seat on high. 

Till we around Him then shall throng, 
This mercy shall be still our song ; 
And every scheme shall God confound 
Of all who strive its course to bound. 



BATH : POINTED BY BINNS AND GOODWIN. 



THE CONDEMNED NEG-BO. 



The torrent of public opinion in Britain, swelled 
to overwhelming force by the tributary streams 
of Christian charity, philanthropic energy and 
enthusiasm of British freemen, had with resistless 
force burst the iron bonds of slavery in the 
West Indies. 

The imperial legislature had passed a law 
constituting the slaves apprentices to their 
present masters for six consecutive years, limiting 
their gratuitous labour to seven hours and a half 
on each week day, for which they were to be 
supplied with house-room, liberal allowance of 
food, &c. &c, while at the close of the six years' 
apprenticeship, they were to go out free as 
English peasants. 

The government had accompanied this legal 

b 3 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



emancipation with a grant of £20,000,000 to be 
distributed among the owners of the slaves, as 
compensation for their loss. 

The day appointed for carrying this new law 
into effect was close at hand, The first of 
August, 1834, was to dawn upon the heads of 
Freemen who had slept on the eve before as 
Slaves. All was excitement, the hearts of 
many beat high. Those who had never before 
been able to call their hours, their labours, their 
children, iheir bodies, their own, w T ere told, 
" To-morrow you are free ! ! " The government 
had wisely proclaimed that the first day of 
freedom should be spent as a religious festival, 
and services and preachings held at least twice 
in every place of religions worship throughout 
the colony, and thus these places were made the 
centres of assemblage for all classes and colours 
during that auspicious day. 

Brightly the sun rose up in the heavens that 
morning. Clear and blue was the tropical sky 
that day, save where there came floating on the 
fresh East wind, the soft white clouds that 
indicate the dry season. Soon was the solitude 
oi the public roads invaded by the several 
plantations pouring forth their contributions 
of cheerful-hearted labourers in their holiday 
suits. The women in their dresses and turbans 



man's victim, god's chosen. 



of white rivalling the purest snow, the men 
chiefly in white also, interspersed with the youth, 
who, according to their power, mingled their gay 
and fashionable clothing with the more sober 
and humble garb of the poorer or more humble- 
minded men. These filling the public ways, 
moved on from every direction to the appointed 
place for meeting and preaching of the word. 

The writer of these pages can scarcely 
describe the mingled feelings of his soul that 
morning. He had then lived eight years among 
the slaves. He had groaned with their groans, 
and mingled his sighs with theirs ; he had 
marked the demoralizing effect of the system 
upon master and slave ; yet, notwithstanding the 
difficulty of access to the negroes in some of their 
locations among their families, as well as the 
great duplicity of their character, consequent on 
the condition of slavery, the word of grace had 
melted many a heart and called out many souls 
to Christ. 

The love of God to the sinner, the gospel to 
the poor, the call from earth to heaven, from 
darkness here to light in God, from hopelessness 
here to the hope of glory there, and all so free, 
so fresh from the heart of the everlasting God, 
the God of all, of bond and free, signed and 
sealed in the gift and blood of His dear Son, was 

b 5 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



a message, or, as they would say, " a story good 
for poor slave ! " It told upon their sad condition, 
it revealed to them a Friend! one who really 
loved ; one who would pardon, heal, and bless ! 
while it fully explained the just cause of human 
misery, human sin! human guilt! and in which 
they were as deep as their masters. Thus had 
many hundreds in that one district alone been 
brought savingly to Jesus' feet, and placed in 
Christ, above all human circumstances ; so that 
really no act of human legislature could make 
them more free or give them higher privileges, for 
they were the Lord's freemen, co-heirs of Christ 
himself ! 

Hitherto the privations and humility of their 
earthly condition had enhanced their sense of 
gospel blessings, but now the felt elevation of 
their human circumstances would tend to neutra- 
lize the hitherto very peculiar contrast between 
their natural birth as slaves of men, and new 
birth as children of God by faith, and lower the 
estimation of their heavenly place and heavenly 
hopes in Christ. There is nothing more trying 
to the Christian's soul than human prosperity, 
worldly elevation ; and so were the Christian 
slaves tried in this their change of condition. 

The word taken for testimony that morning 
was, " If the Son therefore shall make you free, 



MAN'S VICTI3I, GOD S CHOSEN 



ye shall be free indeed." (John viii. 36.) But 
alas ! the tide of carnal exultation that clay was 
so strong, that not only was it difficult to com- 
mand serious attention at all from the worldly 
portion of hearers to the testimony concerning 
sin and free redemption, but very few even of 
the true hearted Christians were able, in that 
mixed and excited multitude, to rejoice in the 
truth, or realize as they ought the liberty where- 
with " Christ had made them Free." It was 
however a wise and successful acr of the govern- 
ment thus commencing this new era with a 
general acknowledgment of God's great mercies 
to men, and leading the people to look higher 
than earth for the author and source of the new 
and promising circumstances into which they 
w 7 ere now brought ! 

Moreover it was particularly gratifying to 
mark the unmixed cheerfulness of all, both white 
and black ; master, and slave becoming free ; all 
seemed to sympathize in the joys of that day, 
and the circumstances that brought them 
together. 

To all this excitement and rejoicing, was to 
succeed the propounding and practical explana- 
tion of the Freedom that was really proclaimed 
to these now called " apprenticed labourers." 
And here came the bitter disappointment ! They 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



were not yet free ; they were bound to render 
each to his master the assiduous labour of seven 
hours and a half per day, exclusive of meal-times, 
and their amount of work would not be very 
much diminished if very rigidly exacted. Still, 
however, their masters were obliged to provide 
them house-room and provision grounds, with 
divers other allowances, and thus, considering 
the certainty of going out free in six years, 
much had been achieved for them, and by good 
counsels and explanations where there were wise 
and moderate masters, work proceeded quietly 
on the plantations ; but where the employers 
became exacting and litigious, much punishment 
and harsh usage was the result, so that it is well 
known that there was more general punishment, 
more irritation among all parties, and more 
lasting strife and animosity gendered between 
white and black during the four years of appren- 
ticeship (it was shortened to four years by the 
colonies themselves on this very account), than 
in all slavery before. 

However, attention was soon called to a more 
serious difference than mere disputes as to the 
amount of daily labour legally required. The 
slaves on the largest plantations in a distant part 
of the colony refusing to believe the apprentice- 
ship was law at all, declared that they were free. 



man's victim, god's chosen. 

They could not, they said, believe that King 
William would send out and bind them appren- 
tices to the planting of canes and boiling of 
sugar, who had been toiling at it to perfection 
all their lives. The magistrates whose duty it 
was to read and explain the law to them were 
all planters, and thus they thought themselves 
imposed upon, and deprived of their legal rights ; 
with that thought they refused to work, until 
satisfied the law read to them was authentic, or, 
as they said, " till they sure it was King William 
law I " 

Their example being followed by the whole 
coast, the suspension of labour became general^ 
and the blacks repairing in groups from the 
several plantations to a large piece of open 
ground attached to a parish church, it soon 
became a general place of bivouac for men, 
women, and children. 

A panic had been more or less pervading 
the hearts of the planters ever since the Eman- 
cipation Act had passed into law, and the least 
coalition among the Blacks, or anything bordering 
on systematic resistance, increased it seven-fold. 
The Militia were called to arms, and despatches 
sent to the Governor, entreating the immediate 
proclamation of martial law, and assistance of 
the king's troops. 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 

It is clear, however, that nothing of the kind 
was needed, the people were far from meditating 
revolt, or harm to any. They thought they had 
reason to doubt the persons officially employed to 
explain and enforce the law ; they were, more- 
over, grievously disappointed, and determined on 
passively refusing to work until the Governor 
himself came and assured them it was law. The 
Governor, who was actively taking every pains 
to calm the minds of all, and explain to the 
satisfaction of the apprentices the reality and 
nature of the new law, refused their request for 
the proclamation of martial law ; but promised, 
as soon as possible, to visit the refractory coast 
with an armed force, and, explaining the law, 
command them all to their duties. 

And now the circumstances took place which 
led eventually to those sad proceedings, which 
brought into such notice the subject of these 
pages, and have induced the writer to select him 
as an instance in which the gracious purposes of 
God in plucking a brand from the burning, and 
bringing back a soul from ruin to His glory, 
were fully developed, and triumphantly carried 
out in the very arena where Satan was also 
successfully working, through the basest and most 
cruel passions of sinful men, the deathr and des- 
truction, as he thought, of their poor fellow-sinner. 



man's victim, god's chosen, 



The magistrates were naturally, and it may be 
said, properly jealous of their disputed authority, 
which was then only in lawful exercise, and 
determined, if possible, to reduce these men to 
submission before the Governor arrived. The 
militia, with loaded arms and bayonets fixed, 
were drawn up before the unarmed multitude. 
They were in vain commanded to disperse to 
their respective estates, and resume their work ; 
they calmly but determinedly refused. The 
militia presented their fire-locks, they unflinch- 
ingly awaited the discharge, while the minister 
or clergyman of the district, fearing the militia 
would fire, rushed as a suppliant between them 
and the Blacks, imploring them not to shed 
blood. 

The people remained silent and nonresisting, 
but disobedient to all orders, and expressed a 
determination to await the Governor's expected 
arrival. They had now been several days in 
this position, and it was reported the Governor 
would be down in the steamer the afternoon of 
the next day. It seems the Negroes were ex- 
tremely anxious to increase their numbers, and, 
to prevent any from deserting their bivouac, that 
emissaries were busily searching for those who 
might be hidden or remaining on the estates, and 
a young man, named D— — , a house servant, 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



who had kept away from the whole affair until 
then, being found asleep in his hammock that 
night, was persuaded to get up and join them. 

It was reported, and I think came out in 
evidence, that an ill-conditioned, ill-charactered 
white man, who mingled with the Negroes, 
advised them in the morning to rear a flag in 
honour of the Governor's approach. Now, 
according to the law of rebellion, an assembly to 
be so convicted, must be found in arms, or with 
banner or banners ; at least, on this occasion, 
since there were no arms displayed, nor even a 
stick carried by any, a banner waving was the 
turning point on their trial, that construed all 
their acts into open rebellion. 

Ignorant of this law, and knowing it was the 
general wish to obey the Governor, the pro- 
position was unanimously adopted, and D 

became the most active in arranging and planting 
this fatal banner, as he really was most forward 
in his desire to honour the Governor, and see 
an end put to this most harassing disturbance. 
Under his direction a hole was dug, a tree was 
cut down, stripped of its branches, and reduced 
to a pole : a large piece of blue cloth being 
attached to the upper end, the other was planted 
in the ground, and the flag waving aloft was 
saluted by the cheers of the whole company ; 



man's victim, god's chosen, 



while the treacherous suggestor of the deed, 
watching their proceedings, exulted in his success 
and marked all down as a sure means of gratifying 
his malignant feelings. Soon after noon, the 
smoke of the expected steamer was seen afar, 
swiftly approaching ; as she neared the shore 
the whole multitude agreed to give the Governor 
a most respectful reception, and opened in two 
lines, that, he passing between them, they might 
bow in honour to his person. On landing, his 
Excellency drew up the troops that accompanied 
him over against them all. He then read aloud, 
and explained the New Law, and, calling for a 
list of those who had appeared foremost in re- 
sisting the magistrates' orders, had them all 
arrested and ironed ; then, dispersing the rest to 
their respective plantations to fulfil their legal 
tasks on pain of punishment, and, taking the 
prisoners on board the steamer, returned forth- 
with to town. 

Among the prisoners, who were, I think, 

eighteen in number, was poor D who had 

been arrested as chief in the rebellion, on 
account of his forwardness in the matter of 
rearing the flag, and they were all fully com- 
mitted for trial, on a charge of rebellious resistance 
to the laws and Government. 

There can scarcely be a case on record, where 

c 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



a man so very, I will not say innocent, but 
simple, concerning the charge preferred against 
him, was brought up for trial on so grave an 

account. D- had been reared up almost 

entirely in the house of white people, a domestic 
of good honest character, civil and obliging. 
Some time previous to these events he had been 
evidently under religious impressions, had em- 
braced the privilege lately granted the slaves, 
of lawfully marrying the mother of his two 
little children, become an attendant at a Sunday 
School, and in every way evinced a sincere 
disposition to do and to be what was right. 
Such was the special character of a young Negro, 
who, by an extraordinary concatenation of the 
events of less than two days, was singled out as 
a victim to appease justice, and terrify malcon- 
tents, by suffering death upon the gallows as a 
hardened rebel, who had threatened the com- 
munity with insurrection, the country with fire 
and sword. That such a thing could happen in 
a civilized community, or be suffered by an 
all-gracious God, might startle the superficial 
observer ; but, on a closer survey and more 
intimate acquaintance with what really took 
place upon D \s soul, through all this appa- 
rently sad and heart-rending calamity, we shall 
discover that the great God was working here in 



MAN'S VICTIM, GOD'S CHOSEN. 



grace, and causing even the subtlety and malice 
of man to be His agents in preparing this poor 
sinner for receiving His gospel, which alone 
could make him rightly know himself, and, 
instead of seeking, as he hitherto had done, to 
establish his own righteousness, causing him to 
submit to the righteousness of God : man was 
seeking his destruction to subserve his own ends ; 

God was seeking D 's salvation and eternal 

happiness, for His own glory. And man's victim 
here was God's chosen vessel ! 

It is neither my place nor desire to review 
the acts or decisions of the world's tribunals. 
" The powers that be, are ordained of God." 
The true Christian submits to and reverences 
the power for the Lord's sake ; but they are 
also ordained of God for good, and God will 
ultimately make all men in power render up to 
Him a strict account of the use they have made 
of this delegated talent, and judge them for 
the abuse of that allowed only for good. Indeed, 
all men w T ho find not cleansing and shelter in 
the blood and name of Christ, must be judged 
according to their own works. Alas ! what 
must be then the judgment awarded ! 

It is only for the glory of God and that 
others may learn more of His wondrous ways 
in grace, that I desire to bring these things into 

C3 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



notice at all, and shall only just say, that when 

T> and the others were brought before the 

court as insurgents and rebels, I am persuaded 

they were wronged ; and when D stood in 

the dock and heard the very man who suggested 
the rearing of the flag, come boldly forward, 
to prove his eagerness to accomplish it, and 
that it was raised in defiance, instead of in 
honour, to the Governor, he for the first time, 
perceived the baseness of his betrayer. But 
when he saw the judge rise and assume 
the black cap of condemnation, and solemnly 
sentence him, as a leader of rebellion, to be 
hanged by the neck till he was dead, while his 
less guilty accomplices were sentenced to be 
flogged under his gallows, and then transported 
for many years across the seas, the poor young 
man could scarcely believe his own senses, or 
realize the truth of this, to him indeed, awfully 
appalling scene. That he who had not joined 
the recusants till the last day, and then by 
compulsion, and whose heart then had but one 
wish, that their minds might be settled, and 
all the agitation cease by the arrival of the 
Governor, should be sentenced to death as a 
leader of rebels, was more than his mind could 
bear ; and he was led away overcome by aston- 
ishment and anguish, to await his execution in 
one of the condemned cells. 



main's victim, god's chosen. 



Many an honest heart was grieved and indig- 
nant at the result of this trial ; for myself, I 
felt an irresistible impulse to go and lay before 
this young victim, the abundant and free 
mercies of God ; and since his way in life here 
seemed closed up all round by the hardness of 
his fellow -men, to set at once before him, that 
door to heaven and glory, which God has 
opened freely in the person of His dear Son, 
for "whosoever will" to enter in ; and to show 
him that although those to whom he had done 
no harm, were barring against him the gates of 
mercy, He against whom he had multiplied 
transgressions, and from whom he had withheld 
hitherto, in the enmity of his heart, the homage 
and obedience due, had opened wide for such as 
he, the arms of everlasting mercy, in the once 
shed blood of Jesus Christ. 

I had no difficulty in obtaining access to the 
condemned man in the prison, but must confess 
that on entering the cell, as the heavy door 
was closed and locked behind me, and my eyes 
rested on the poor victim of man's timid policy, 
I shrunk instinctively from his inquiring gaze, 
which seemed to say, " Who are you now ? have 
white men no pity, no bowels and mercies ? " 
and I felt ashamed of my fairer skin." 

However, a few words convinced him that I 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



came as his fellow-creature, in deep sympathy 
with his present condition, as deeply wronged 
by his accuser, and unjustly condemned, though 
perhaps, through a thorough misapprehension of 
the whole case, and a mistaken judgment con- 
cerning the necessity of so harsh a measure ; 
but I bested him to consider that if no little 
bird can fall and die without the knowledge of 
God, neither could this have happened to him 
without God's permission. I besought him not 
to allow his conscious innocence of the crime 
for which he had been condemned, to betray 
him into the thought that he was not a very 
guilty man before God. I told him that our 
days were allotted by God, though we know not 
their appointed number ; but that now he must 
almost to a certainty, be led to death in three 
weeks. That he might have been suddenly 
drowned, or cut off by a fever, or a thousand 
other ways. It was death that was now 
approaching, but sin was the sting of death, and 
to remove that sting and lift up ruined man to 
life and immortality, God gave His own Son 
as " the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin 
of the world." I besought him not to waste his 
precious moments in fruitless complaints, but 
calmly listen to the blessed Gospel, and hear 
what God said in the Bible, to us all ; for man 



MAN'S VICTIM, GOD'S CHOSEiY 



could only kill the body, but God could and 
would cast into hell the man who turned a deaf 
ear to His Word, and refused to believe in the 
name of the only begotten Son of God, u Have 
you," I continued, " ever been convinced in 
your conscience of your ruined sinful state as 
born of parents cast out of Eden, carnal, sold 
unto sin ; utterly unclean, incapable of pleasing 
God, or blotting out one of your innumerable 
sins ? each of which would sink a soul to perdi- 
tion. Or have you been thinking you might 
make yourself a better man by a better life, by 
religious observances, and persisting in outward 
attempts at reformation ? if the latter, God has 
convinced you it will not do ; your soul will be 
required of you very soon, you will not return 
to your duties or your family any more, nor 
leave this cell except to death ; will you then 
confess your guilty, your helpless state, and 
submit to the righteousness of God ?" 

D listened attentively, he felt the truth, 

the awful truth ; he seemed as if his heart 
melted, and his conscience told him that God's 
judgment of us all was true of him, he was also 
one guilty before God. I then read, and sought 
to press upon him Rom. iii. 10 — 28 ; also Rom. 
ix. 30 — 33 ; x. 10 — 17. And then solemnly 
commending him to the grace of God for 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 

salvation, in earnest prayer, I left him to his 

solitude. 

It is quite evident, that until then D had 

never been awakened to perceive or feel his 
condition before God as a fallen man. He felt 
he was an ignorant man, therefore a faulty 
man ; a poor slave that knew no better ; but 
now God's word had come to him, he would 
try to do His will. It is a common thought and 
expression with them "Me no know better, me 
poo?- black, massa teach me better, me sa do 
am, massa teach me God word, me self sa do um 
good ! " 

And are they the only persons who thus erro- 
neously judge of their own condition ? Are 
there not thousands who with Bibles in their 
hands, do not discover that "in the flesh we 
cannot please God ; " that " the carnal mind 
is enmity against God." That the greater the 
light in which God places the natural man, the 
more his love of darkness becomes manifest. 
The more his privileges from God enable him 
to know His will, the more man's natural depra- 
vity is displayed against it. " This truly is the 
condemnation, light is come into the world, but 
men loved darkness rather than light, because 
their deeds were evil." The evil and ruin of 
our nature, is most fully proved in the Jewish 



man's victim, god's chosen. 



nation, and it is declared of man when placed in 
the greatest nearness to the truth and glory of 
God, which he is capable of bearing, "Ye stiff- 
necked and uncircumcized in heart and ears, ye 
do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers 
did, so do ye ; which of the prophets have not 
your fathers persecuted ? and they have slain 
those who showed before the coming of the 
Just One, of whom ye have been now the 
betrayers and murderers ; who have received 
the law by the disposition of angels, and have 
not kept it. ' 

A day had passed before I again visited 

D . He was glad to see me ; had suffered 

much anguish of mind many ways. His great 
temptation was the apparent hardness of his fate, 
about to be cut of just as life became apparently 
of some value to him — as its prospects were 
brightening, and the deep gloom of slavery clear- 
ing away. His wife and two little children, with 
their prospects, were more worth living for ! 
Then, what had he done for this ? Nothing but 
honour the white man, and hoist a flag for the 
Governor! "If" said he, "I ivas going dead 
from God's sick, I icoirid humble in God's hand ; 
but dis no God at all, dis white man tory — 
ivhite man kill him for nothing I " But then he 
thought what I had told him, that God permitted 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



all this the same as he permitted sickness ; 
"God," said he, "no make sick, sin bring sick, 
sin bring dead; but God give life, eternal life, in 
His dear Son. God, so love He give His dear 
$o?i to dead upon cross for a' we sin I He rise 
from dead again to be life for a? ive ! God's 
Son no sick, He hang upon tree for nothing, but 
for tve wickedness ; He take punish for we, He 

take punish for me, D . Spose me no come 

to dis, s'pose me do ivell in dis world, me free in 
dis world, me make plenty money, me live long in 
dis world, me 'wife me children live long, me love 
dis ivorld — me no see de truth, me no feel me sin, 
me no knoio me born of de flesh from Adam a 
child of wrath as others, me no tink of God 
ivord, me live blind without Christ, me sick at 
last, me go dead at last in all me sin ; dat better 
dan dis ? No, never I But s^pose me now go to 
Jesus, me call upon He, me believe in He name, 
me believe in de blood dat clean from all sin, me 
have Christ dere in me heart, He give me de 
living water, He make me one child of God, He 
toash me in He own blood, His Father me Father, 
He gone to make place for me, dat where he be, 
dere me so* be for ever ; den me go dead white 
man go kill me body, meself go to Christ, what 
dat ? dat bad ! never ! dat good ! very good ! 0 
Lord, me very bad sinner, but me believe, me 



man's victim, god's chosen. 



believe, D , believe I Oh ! Lord, wash me 

sin away ! " 

Thus did I find God in His grace working on 
his soul by His word ; the truth gained power 
over his mind, the great truth of redemption ! 
Free redemption through the once shed blood. 
Darkness in the hand of its ruler, Satan, vainly 
tried to enslave his soul ; truth, shining in, was 
setting him free, he was bursting his bonds, his 
chains were fast giving way before the light and 
love of God ; and as his blighted worldly hopes 
and fading prospects here were losing their hold 
upon his mind, he was lifted up from a wretched 
clinging of heart to that which was torn from 
him — and delivered from the gnawing worm of 
regret, or ruin of despair, by the Day- Star that 
now arose upon his soul in the truth of the 
glorious gospel ; which, founded on the boundless 
love of God himself, and manifested in the full 
atonement made for sin in the blood of Christ, 
allured upward and onward his now believing 
soul, to the enjoyment of the life and immor- 
tality so given and secured to him, in the 
death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This 
time I paid him a long visit, and strove to keep 
his mind entirely upon the wonders and hopes of 
redemption. How highly favoured we were to 
be the subjects of such amazing grace ; how 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



sweet to know that our very guilt and perfect 
misery in being so very helpless and thoroughly 
subject to sin in our nature, were the occasions 
of this free grace, since nothing else could meet 
our case but this lifting up of the Son of God as 
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 
" that whosoever believed should not perish but 
have everlasting life." I then read to him, and 
strove to press upon his heart, the precious 
words of our own Lord, as recorded by John 
in the 6th chapter, from the 27th, to the 63rd 
verse inclusive ; and with earnest prayer that 
God would make these words to him living 
words, "spirit and life," and that his thoughts 
might be kept from recoiling upon the apparent 
misery of his lot as human sense alone would 
judge of it, from the real blessing and hopeful- 
ness of his condition as revealed to faith in the 
" word of grace," again I left him in the loving 
hands of Him who is still untiringly going out 
seeking the sheep that He has lost. 

On leaving the cell, the governor of the 
prison, a mild, kind-hearted man of much sound 
judgment, declared how much he was interested 

in D ; what a gentle, simple-hearted man 

he was, and how sure he had become that his 
prosecutors had quite mistaken their man when 
he was had up for rebellion ; "he was no rebel," 



man's victim, goo's chosen. 

he added, " from this time I shall take off his 
irons, if he will promise to do no mischief." I 

fully acquiesced in these his sentiments of D 

and left the prison well pleased with the frank- 
ness and kind-heartedness of the white jailor 
towards the black man ! 

On my return home I could but fall down 
before God to thank Him for His manifest work 

in D 's heart ; and while I knew, what God 

began He would carry on to perfection, I felt 
also compelled to cry out to the Lord for temporal 

mercy, and say, " O Lord, let D live ? " 

The Lord did let him live, and live for ever, 
but did not suffer him to linger long in this 
world. 

The next time I visited D , he was loose 

from his irons, and advancing, he embraced 
me, saying, " Me satisfy noiv, me quite satisfy <> 
God is love ! Me, massa, Jesus blood wash all 
me sin away ; me quite ready for go to Jesus! 
better dan stay here dis ivorld — dis ivorld no 
good ! Jesus good ! Oh, massa, me tankee you 

for bring all dis good tory for me. D blind, 

D dead in sin ; now ?ne see, now me live, 

now me know de true God and Jesus He been 
send. Oh, Massa, me tankee you, tankee you 
too much." 

The reader may conceive my feelings on this 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



confession, my thankfulness to God for this 
wondrous work, and thus causing the angels in 
heaven to rejoice over another sheep found, 
another prodigal restored. The more I ques- 
tioned him, the more confident I became that 
he was in Christ— in the Son, and in the Father ; 
and reading Romans viii. to him, was enabled to 
establish and strengthen him in the love of God 
from this sweet and comprehensive word, closing 
as it does with such assurances. Such responses 
to the questions, " What shall we say then, to 
these things ? If God be for us, who can be 
against us ?" 

After prayer, rinding him in sweet peace and 
composure, I requested him to state simply and 
honestly, as before God, how he came to be 
among these men assembled in disobedience to 
the new law ? He readily answered, and gave 
me in substance what I have related above. 
Nothing was further from his mind than joining 
in any resistance to the laws of the white men ; 
and his hoisting of the flag was really only to 
show his respect for the Governor, while his 
eagerness to erect it was from the very desire 
of proving that all of them were loyal and 
prepared to obey the laws of the King and 
Government. I then endeavoured to show him 
how happy it ought to make him that he was 



man's victim, god's chosen 



suffering innocently as to himself, and then what 
a nice exercise it would be for his heart, now in 
grace, to forgive and pray for those who had 
helped to bring about his condemnation, especi- 
ally that wicked white man who had brought 
false witness against him. He said " Me no 
have any ting in me heart 'gainst he, me pray 
God make him know Jesus Christ; every ting 

ivorkfor good to D ; now he find Jesus, he 

satisfy ; me wish love every man, God for judge 
c? tve, not ive for judge one another" 

I then left him, and when his door was closed, 
the jailor said, " Sir, I have been induced to 

listen to the confessions of D , as he related 

to you, how he came among the refractory 
people, and why he hoisted the flag. He told 
the same to me, the same to the chaplain ; I am 
sure he is an innocent man." *' And must he 
suffer then ? " said I, " cannot we supplicate for 
his pardon?" " You can," he replied, " and the 
chaplain can, and will ; but the judge has 
insisted on the sentence being carried out, and 
I much fear the excitement in the country is so 
great, the Governor will yield, and order his 
execution." " We can but try," I said, " and I 
certainly shall state my convictions of his inno- 
cence, and that the flag was the expression of a 
very contrary sentiment to that of rebellion. 

d 3 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



The Lord can turn the hearts of men ; His will 

be done. Nevertheless, D 's condemnation 

by man has already wrought as a means to his 
justification from all sin before God." 

Before I again visited D I had drawn up 

and forwarded through the Government Secre- 
tary a petition to his Excellency — in which I 
briefly related the history and confessions of 

D , his simplicity of mind, his orderly 

character before this unhappy circumstance, the 
way he was drawn into it, his present quiet 
submission to the sentence ; that if he died, the 
meekest man in the whole colony died ; that 
though legally his actions might be condemned, 
they were morally innocent, and that perhaps 
woe awaited the country if this boon of freedom 
was ushered in defiled with the blood of a 
fellow-creature. These were my convictions at 
the time, and are my sentiments still, whatever 
might have been the judgment of others on so 
momentous a question as the life of a fellow- 
man. But as to D himself, all was arranged 

for him in love, and he was already numbered 
among those of whom it is written, "All things 
are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, 
or the world, or life, or death, or things present, 
or things to come ; all are yours ; and ye are 
Christ's ; and Christ is God's. - 



man's victim, god's chosen. 

On visiting D again, after much conver- 
sation on the word of grace, on the goodness 
and faithfulness of God, on the manner of 
entering in I had unto him when I first visited 
him, how he had turned from all his sorrows 
and regrets, to trust in the living and true God, 
and wait for Him who had delivered him from 
the wrath to come, even Jesus Christ ; I ven- 
tured to say that I had sent a petition in his 
favour to the Governor, that the chaplain had 
done the same, but that as things were, I much 
feared it would be in vain, and bid him not 
count upon it, nor allow such thoughts to draw 
off his heart from his hopes in Christ. He 
replied, u Me self in God's hand; if me tand 
here me tand with Christ; if me go die, me 
go to Christ" His heart was certainly standing 
fast, trusting in the Lord. The Spirit witnessed 
with his spirit that he was God's child, God's 
heir, "joint heir with Christ." Pie could now 
say, "Jesus had given him rest, the truth had 
made him free." " Yes me got de true free — 
me free from hell, me free from sin, me free 
from death, me got better dan King William free, 
me got Gods free through Jesus Christ." He 
had now asked to see his wife and children, and 
they had been sent for. I then prayed with 
him and for him, that God would look upon his 

d5 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



case, and do what was best for his real happiness, 
and God's own glory, in the matter of his pardon 
by man ; we left the matter entirely in His 
gracious hand, only that whatever was the 

result of the petition, D might have strength 

for his day — grace to live, and grace to die. I 
left him calm and happy. Soon after my return 
home, I received his Excellency's answer to my 
petition to this effect ; — " That however much 
he was disposed to mercy, in this and every 
case, he could not interfere in such a one as 
this ; the law had found him guilty, the law 
must take its course, and the day of his execu- 
tion was fixed." I must confess, this came 
heavily upon my heart. God had given me this 
soul ; I had, as it were, begotten him in his 
bonds, and was now receiving him as one of 
Christ's little ones ; yet he was the worlds felon, 
to be hung on the tree. Well, God knew it, 
and God loved him ; God had called him to 
glory ; there was no sting in death for him. So 
would 1 school myself to humble acquiescence to 
the will of God. . 

When next I entered the prison, the humane 
jailor, with a heavy heart, and faltering tongue, 

told me " D must suffer, and has been told 

the day fixed, and no hope of respite." As the 
cell door opened, I perceived D sitting with 



man's victim, god's chosen. 



much composure on bis little seat : he rose to 
meet me saying, "Dear massa, de Gubbemor 
say me must die, but God say, believe in Jesus 
and you sa never die! I believe in Jesus, and 
Jesus say, 1 / de resurrection, I de life ! 9 Dont 
Afraid for me, massa, dortt cry for me, me come in 
dis place dead in me sin, me go out alive to 
live for ever" 

The reader will readily perceive it is no light 
work for the human heart to be used of the Lord 
in such a labour as this. Inasmuch as you have 
felt it sweet and blessed to be the messenger of 
glad tidings to the depth of human misery, and 
to find the word is not vain ; to see the heart 
lit up with the light of life, strengthening and 
glowing under the gracious ministry ; just so 
much is the wrench felt when the object of your 
fostering care is torn from your sight, and the 
reach of your assistance If this is trying in the 
case of lingering illness, when life is flitting on a 
dying bed, how T much more when the object of 
your love and interest, with whom your soul has 
had deep sympathy, with whom you have read, 
and prayed, and praised, is torn from you to die 
a felon's death, when not a felon truly. The 
writer must confess such was the character of 
his trial under this melancholy, yet triumphant, 
circumstance. 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 

Again I sought the prison the day before the 
execution; his wife and children were with him. 
Waiting the end of her visit, I found very much 

sympathy with D among those who had 

seen him, especially in the governor of the 
prison, the physician, and others his friends, who 
had known him before this sad event. 

The signal given, his door was unlocked, and 

^as it opened D— was embracing his children 

for the last time — then bid his wife a long fare- 
well. Very well do I remember his last words 
to her, " Go home noiv, and trust in God, and 
mind dem children ; don't cry for me, m,e happy now 
— to-morrow , when white man open de door and 
take me out for hill me, God sa make me live, Isa go 
to Jesus ! " I seemed to detect somewhat of petu- 
lance in this, and as she walked away I entered 

the cell, the door closed behind me. D 

looked at me awhile, then clasping me in his 
arms rolled with me on the floor in an agony, 
then letting me go, he sat up, and said, u Massa, 
me feel, me feel" — then after a pause, he added, 
66 Massa, me better now, better now; massa tell 
me about Jesus and the love of God, and pray 
for poor D his faith may strong" 

I then read these scriptures, Phil. i. 20 — 23, 
2 Cor. v. 1 — 9, showing him also from 1 Cor. 
xv. the resurrection hope in Christ — Christ is 



man's victim, god's chosen. 



risen ; we must rise at His coming, when shall 
be brought to pass the saying that is written 
in Isa. xxv. 8, " Death is swallowed up in 
victory," with the apostle's exultation at the 
prospect, " O death, where is thy sting ? O 
grave, where is thy victory ? the sting of death 
is sin, the strength of sin is the law ; but thanks 
be to God who giveth us the victory through 
our Lord Jesus Christ." And praying to " the 
God of all grace " to be with and help this His 
poor weak child in his last extremity, that he 
might be able to roll himself over to Jesus for 
strength, and rest his soul there, I retired, 
promising to see him early in the morning. 

Gloomy and sad preparations had been going 
on the evening before this last morning dawned 

upon D 's mortal sight. The high gallows 

had been erected in a public place in the town, 
and arrangements made for scourging the other 
convicts beneath the scaffold upon which he was 
to meet his doom in the flesh. I met him, how- 
ever, wearing a calm and smiling face, as he 
greeted me with " Massa, me long for see you ; 
me have good night, tankee God ; once me have 
trouble, hut de Holy Ghost comfort me with Jesus, 
Stephen soul go to Jesus ; me no like Stephen, 
hut me ivash in same blood J me spirit must go to 
He, Massa you go with ?ne to de last ? — massa 



THE CONDEMNED NEGRO ; OR, 



me wish you to go" " No D ," I replied, 

• 4 1 cannot go with you, God is with you — you 
must lean on Jesus, then, the Holy Ghost says, 
you lean on God. You must not look at death ; 
you must not let your mind go out upon the 
manner of your death, or the multitude, or the 
trying circumstances around ; you must, in the 
help of the Holy Ghost, keep your heart up with 
Jesus, and think how gloriously happy you will 
be with Him — you must long to go when you 
think of His love. What an exchange to give 
up your body and be w T ith Him ! how far better." 

I then prayed, after which he said, "Massa, me 
happy now, me too happy, because me feel Jesus 

siveet to me soul ; massa, twelb a! clock D sa 

go to Jesus ; but, massa, me wish you could tand 
with me to de last.'' " My dear brother in 
Christ/' I replied, " my work and service to 
you for Jesus is now closed ; lean on the 
Saviour's bosom, and pray for me and others 
who are left behind in the temptations of this 
world. I have been used of God in leading you 
to Jesus, where you have found rest to your 
soul. Your salvation is of God. On your way 
to execution, should you think of me, remember 
me as your way -post pointing you to Jesus and 
His cross, and let your latest thoughts of me 
reflect upon your heart these words, 4 Look still 
to Jesus.' " 



man's victim, god's chosen. 



Upon this, the officials of the prison came, 
and I turned from this beloved fellow -heir of 
promise, to see his face no more till the day of 
Christ. With mingled, or I may rather say with 
alternate, feelings of the deepest sorrow and 
triumphant joy, slowly I returned home, where 
I met a brother in the Lord who could unite his 
tears and joys w 7 ith mine ; and whatever might 
have been our thoughts on the ultimate expe- 
diency of the stern policy that thus displayed 
the extreme and awful power of the legal sword, 
we both agreed that in the present case 

" Man's Victim was God's Chosen 
To the praise and glory of His grace." 

D suffered and slept in Jesus, the other 

convicts suffered their sentences also as far as 
what w r as inflicted under the gallows that day ; 
but arriving in England, on their way to foreign 
transportation, they were all pardoned and sent 
back to their several plantations, there to be 
received to the same work and with the same 
respect and favour which they had held previous 
to the sad and afflicting circumstance which we 

have here detailed. Had D -'s execution been 

referred to the pleasure and will of the British 
crown, he might have been living in the flesh 
to this day. But D — — departed to be with 
Christ, which is far better. _ 



HYMN. 



We go to meet the Saviour, 

His glorious face to see ; 
What manner of behaviour, 

Doth with this hope agree ? 
To thee, the King of glory, 

We'll raise the happy song, 
And make thy love's bright story 

The theme of every tongue. 

This caused thine incarnation, 

This brought thee from on high, 
Thy thirst for our salvation, 

This made thee come to die; 
O love beyond all measure, 

Wherewith thou didst embrace 
The victims of the pressure, 

Of sin and its disgrace. 

Not sinful man's endeavour, 

Nor any mortal's care, 
Could draw thy sov'reign favour 

To sinners in despair ; 
Uncalled thou cam'st with gladness, 

Us from the fall to raise, 
And change our grief and sadness 

To songs of joy and praise. 



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nation, for every Day in the Month, with Short 
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FIFTH EDITION. 

A Trifle Offered to the Afflicted. 

32mo., cloth, price Is. 6d. 

"The extrac's (in this book) are replete with that spirit of love 
so indispensably necessary in attempting to pour the balm of 
comfort into the wounded heart." — Preface. 



Some of the Works Published by Binns and Goodwin, Bath ; 
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Attention is particularly requested to Binns and 
Goodwin's CHRISTIAN MINIATURE LIBRARY: 
a Series of unique and elegant Books. 

first book, second edition, 

Daily Meditation ; or, Heart Commun- 
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edges, Coloured Border to each page, 3s. 6d. Ele- 
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Border to each page, 5s. 6d. 

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appeared, and does much credit to the press of Messrs. Binns and 
Goodwin, whence it proceeded. The meditations are simple, 
short, sweet. It is a book which will form a pretty present, and 
which bids fair to be a favourite with the ladies." — Christian 
Witness. 

SECOND EDITION. 

Hymns and Thoughts for the Sick and 

Lonely. With Frontispiece and Title Engraved on 
Steel. By a LADY. 18mo., cloth, price 2s. 6d. 

A delightful companion for the Sick. 

"The 'Thoughts' are of a superior order, and the 'Hymns' 
embody them in language of expressiveness and vigour.''— Quarterly 
Journal of Prophecy. 

"The effusions of a heart which has been chastened and purified 
in the school of affliction, and has learned to minister consolation 
to those who are placed under similar discipline."— Evangelical 
Christendom. 

THIRD EDITION, ENLARGED. 

A Basket of Fragments and Crumbs, 

containing, it is hoped, few or no Crude or Acid 
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ROWLANDSON. 32mo. cloth, gilt edges, price Is. 6d. 

"Very precious are the 'Fragments and Crumbs' here 
gathered together, for the 'substantial nutriment of the children of 
God.' Every paragraph is rich in striking and valuable thoughts, 
expressed in language singularly nervous and original. We cor- 
dially recommend this 'Basket op Fragments and Crumbs' 
as an invaluable Pocket Companion." — Englishwoman's Magazine. 



Some of the Works Published by Binns and Goodwin, Bath; 
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Essays and Tracts on Va/rious Portions 

of Scripture. By GEORGE WALKER. Small 8vo. 
Price Is. 6d. 

Contents : — 1. Job's Testimony to the Resurrection. 
2. Typical Import of the Ordinances of the Day of 
Atonement. 3. On 1 John v. 6 — 11. 4. Prophecies 
of Balaam. 5. Prophetical Blessings of Jacob and 
Moses. 

The above Essays were originally contributed to Dr. Kttto's 
Journal of Sacred Literature, and The Quarterly Journal oj 
Prophecy. They are now, with the kind permission of the Editors, 
collected with a view to more general circulation. 

UNIFORM WITH THE " LABOURS OF JOHN MEYER." 

SECOND EDITION. 

Old Narquois, the Negro Driver. 
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BY LEONARD STRONG. 
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"The love of God to the sinner, the gospel to the poor, the 
call from darkness here to light in God, from hopelessness 
here, to the hope of glory there, and all so free, so fresh from 
the heart of the everlasting God of bond and free, signed and 
sealed in the gift and blood of His dear Son, was a message, 
or as they would say, ' A story good for poor slave.' " 

THIRD EDITION. 

The Taught of the Father ; or, The 

Grace of God, in its elevating and enlightening 
Power. Illustrated in the Conversion of J. R., lost 
in a Snow-storm at the Cape of Good Hope, October, 
1847. By the Author of " Fragments and Crumbs." 
18mo., enamelled Cover, price Qd. 

"In a day when men, rejecting the power and teaching of God 
the Holy Ghost, are looking to human talent, or energy, or autho- 
rity, it may be of service to the Church of God to bring forward 
one more case, where one of naturally defective understanding 
found peace and joy in believing, being made a subject of that 
Divine teaching, which, whilst it enlightened, elevated, and re- 
newed, also transformed his sonl into the image of his Saviour 
God ; whom, not having seen he loved, and in whom he now 
sweetly sleeps till the day of His re-appearing/' Preface. 



Some of the Works Published by Binns and Goodwin, Bath t 
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TWELFTH THOUSAND. (HANDSOME PRESENT.) 

A Survey of the Holy Land: its Geo- 

graphy, History, and Destiny. Designed to elucidate 
the Imagery and Oriental Allusions of Scripture, and 
demonstrate the fulfilment of Prophecy. By J. T. 
BANNISTER, Author of < ' Chart of the Holy Land, " 
"Incidents of Jewish History," &c. With an Intro- 
duction by the Rev. Dr. Marsh, of Leamington. 
"With new tinted Frontispiece and Vignette; con- 
taining 600 pages, demy 8vo., beautiful ornamental 
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" I heartily wish it a circulation proportionate to its capability of 
affording useful and delightful information." — James Montgomery, 
Esq. 

"It is copious in matter, without verbosity. There is, too, a 
pervading tone of piety running through the whole that not only 
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its usefulness. The work is illustrated by maps and other graphic 
explanatives, it is handsomely printed, and issued in a peculiarly 
beautiful style of binding." — Worcester Herald. 

FOURTH EDITION. 

In an elegant Cover, and adapted for circulation by Post. 

The First Resurrection and Rapture oj 

the Saints. 32mo., price 2d. or Is. 10c?. per dozen. 

"Brief but excellent. The latter part contains some pages that 
may be useful in the way of answering common errors and common 
objections.'- — Quarterly Journal of Prophecy. 

SECOND EDITION. 

The Psalms arranged in Daily Portions, 

for reading through twice in the course of the year ; 
with Short Suggestions for applying them to Personal 
Devotion. By the Rev. A. R. C. DALLAS, M.A., 
Rector of Wonston, Author of "Cottager's Guide to 
the New Testament," &c. In a neat pocket volume, 
cloth, price 2s. 

In this'- Edition, by a novel arrangement, the authorized Marginal 
Readings are introduced in the text. 

"This precious volume is alike elegant and pocketable. It i? 
quite a treasure, and requires only to be seen, to be desired and 
purchased. It will constitute a meet present, and prove a very valu- 
able token of Christian affection/*— British Banner. 



Some of the Works Published by Binns and Goodwin, Bath; 
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The Religious World: or, These Last 

Perilous Times. 12mo., cloth, price 5s. 

This work is peculiarly adapted to the present state of religious 
profession. 

"Proneness to backsliding is the sad character of fallen man; 
and it has been painfully exemplified in England as well as in 
Israel. At various periods, with few exceptions, we seem to have 
become almost wholly secular, and worldly, and unbelieving; and 
the predominance of this secularity and unbelief, even still, is the 
grand danger of the Church." — Bickersteth on the Promised 
Glory of the Church of Christ. 

"True notices of the prevailing perils of the day." — Prospect. «| 

The two following are Selections in which the Coming 
of the Lord is celebrated as the great hope of the 
Church. 

Psalms and Hymns, selected and revised 

for Public Worship, with several original. By the 
Rev. JAMES KELLY, M. A., Minister of St. Peter's 
Episcopal Chapel, Queen Square, St. James's Park. 
Royal 3 2 mo., cloth, price Is. 6d. 

" These Hymns embody very fully, and in great variety, the two 
great points on which rest the faith and hope of the Church, and 
which form the theme of her song...' the sufferings of Christ and the 
glory that is to follow.' The spiritual tone breathing itself 
throughout them is all that it ought to be." — Quarterly Journal of 
Prophecy. 

Hymns for the Worship of Christians. 

Compiled in Clonmel, in 1848. 32mo., cloth, price Is. 

"A collection of three hundred an fourteen hymns, eulled with 
judgment, and especially adapted for corporate worship. — Prospect. 

Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver; 

Being 365 exceeding great and precious promises for 
the year, gathered out of the Word Divine ; together 
with a text for every Lord's day in the year, having 
especial reference to the ministry of the Word. To 
which is added, a plan for reading the Scriptures 
through once a year. By J. A. WALLINGER. 
Royal 32mo., cloth, price Is. 4cL 



TO THE CLERGY, AUTHORS, ETC, 



BIJSTNS AND GOODWIN, 

PUBLISHERS & PRINTERS, 
BATH, 

Respectfully invite the attention of the Clergy, and Authors, 
to their Establishment for Printing and Publishing. In 
the execution of works confided to their care, they feel as- 
sured they can offer real advantages, both in the mechanical 
department, and in competent literary assistance. It will also 
be their study to make such efforts as will promote a ready 
and extensive sale. 

B. & G. have much satisfaction in referring to the numerous 
works issued from their establishment during a period of 
nearly a century: and more especially to their recent pub- 
lications, some of which, of a perfectly unique character, they 
can confidently compare with the productions of any Press 
in the kingdom ; while, by the continual addition to their 
carefully-selected materiel of modern improvements and facil- 
ities, they are prepared to undertake any description of 
Book-Printing, in the most correct and elegant style. 

Having also directed their attention very considerably to the 
higher order of pictorial embellishments, and employing Artists 
of first-rate ability, B. & G. will be happy to undertake the 
preparation and publication of Illustrated Works in the first 
style of the art. 



Estimates for Printing in English, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, 
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MUTUAL AND EQUITABLE fCBLISHING. 



TO AUTHORS. 



BINNS & GOODWIN beg to acquaint the Literary Public 
that they undertake the Printing and Publishing of New Works, 
on condition of 250 copies being taken, without any risk to the 
Author either in Advertising or remaining unsold copies — and 
divide the profits of the whole Edition with the Author. 

The object aimed at in this system of Publishing is to enable 
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curring a large and uncertain outlay — ensuring at the same time, 
through a ready sale, which may be expected for works of 
real merit and interest, a due reward for their labours. 

To enable the Author to realize an immediate benefit, 20 per cent, 
less than the publishing price of the book will be charged on 
the 250 copies: e. g. — for a book the price of which is 10s. only 
8s. will be charged to the Author, and so on in proportion 
— and the profit on his own purchase of 250 copies, and upwards, 
will be included in the ultimate division. All purchases above 250 
copies will be charged 30 per cent, less than the published price. 

It is also submitted, that Authors who prefer Publishing by Sub- 
scription will find this mode present peculiar advantages, as it 
at once determines the amount of profit. 

The facilities of communication, and convenience for trans- 
mitting proofs, being now so great as to render distance of little 
importance, as long experienced by B. & G. — their publications 
being the labours of Authors throughout England, Scotland, and 
Ireland — they respectfully offer their services to Authors resident 
in any part of the kingdom, to print Books and Pamphlets, 
Hymn-Books for Churches and Chapels, and Periodicals, with 
Accuracy, Elegance, and Promptitude. 



Extracted from the Protestant World, July, 1849. 



"The enterprising house of Messrs. Binns & Goodwin, of Bath, 
have secured an honourable position among provincial publishers, 
not only for the valuable publications which have issued from 
their press, but also for the peculiar facilities they afford to 
Authors to publish works, which, though they have cost them 
a large amount of time and talent, they might be unable to 
produce unless thus guaranteed against pecuniary risk. This 
feature in their business arrangements enhances their claims on 
public support." 



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